Chinese leader Xi Jinping and invited guests including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have arrived at the historic Tiananmen Gate to watch a military parade Wednesday in Beijing.
Xi shook hands individually with guests on a red carpet before they climbed the stairs up to the viewing platform on the gate that looks out on Tiananmen Square.
Putin and Kim flanked Xi as they made their way to the platform. Other guests applauded politely as they walked to their seats. They paused to shake hands with five World War II veterans, some older than 100.
The parade, which marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, will showcase missiles, modern fighter jets and other military might as China seeks to wield greater influence on the global stage.
