China will hold the parade in Beijing on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II

Twenty-six foreign leaders will attend, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, the official Xinhua News Agency said. It cited Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei as saying Kim will attend what it called "China`s V-Day commemorations" on September 3

North Korea`s state news agency confirmed Kim will visit China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the war`s end. It gave no further details, including when Kim will depart from North Korea and how long he will stay in China

No leaders from the United States or major Western European countries are expected, in part because of their differences with Putin over the war in Ukraine

China has long been North Korea`s biggest trading partner and main aid provider, but there have been questions about their relations in recent years. North Korea has been focused on expanding cooperation with Russia by supplying troops and ammunition to support Russia`s war against Ukraine. But many observers say North Korea is expected to take steps to improve ties with China