North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin are expected to flank President Xi Jinping at a massive parade in Beijing on Wednesday morning, in a historic moment capping a week of diplomatic grandstanding against the West.

China will showcase its military prowess with troops marching in formation, flypasts and displays of high-tech fighting gear at the showpiece extravaganza centred on Beijing's Tiananmen Square to mark 80 years since the end of World War II.

Millions of Chinese people were killed during a prolonged war with imperial Japan in the 1930s and 40s, which became part of a global conflict following Tokyo's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

All eyes will be on how the trio of Xi, Putin and Kim -- who rarely leaves secretive North Korea -- interact with each other in a highly choreographed photo opportunity seen as a coup for China on the world stage.

Starting at 9:00 am (0100 GMT), Wednesday's 70-minute event is the climax of a whirlwind week for Xi, who on Sunday and Monday hosted a slew of Eurasian leaders for a summit in the northern port........

© International Business Times