Journalist Vitaliy Portnykov expressed this view on Espreso TV.“What we will see in Beijing will be a demonstration of an alternative sphere of influence ready to compete with the West for the rules of the game in the 21st century. It will not simply be a meeting between Putin and Xi Jinping, where they will undoubtedly discuss how to undermine U.S. influence by exploiting Trump’s presence in the Oval Office. Xi Jinping is genuinely interested in this undermining, which is why he will sincerely advise Putin to continue the war until Ukraine’s defeat becomes a collective defeat of the West. This is China’s main interest,” Portnykov said.According to him, Kim Jong Un will also visit Beijing for the first time in many years, raising the possibility of a trilateral meeting to discuss joint actions against Western influence. In addition, the presidents of Iran and Azerbaijan, the dictator of Myanmar, Armenian Prime Minister, Belarus’s Alexander Lukashenko, and all Central Asian leaders are expected to attend.“In fact, all the leaders of the former Soviet republics, except Ukraine and Moldova — and it remains unclear at what level Georgia will be represented — will be present at this parade. This will be practically the same level of participation as in Moscow on May 9, except that now most of these leaders orient themselves toward Xi Jinping. September 3 will be a parade of building an alternative political world. A parade that once again underlines that the U.S. has lost the level of economic influence and capabilities it once held before China’s economy became so crucial for the West,” the journalist noted.In his opinion, this is a dangerous trend, showing China’s growing role in global politics, especially its growing influence over the world economy, including the West. Since many countries now ignore international law and openly support wars, they critically rely on China’s backing.“The fact that the leaders of Iran, North Korea, and Russia — three countries under heavy Western sanctions but surviving thanks to Chinese support — will all be present, shows that Western capabilities, unfortunately, have seriously weakened over the past decade. And the West itself, to use Lenin’s words, has woven the rope on which Xi Jinping now wants to hang it. For the sake of profit and consumerism, the West has abandoned its political and economic levers against dictatorships and has become a hostage of their will,” Portnykov concluded.On August 28, Reuters, citing China’s Foreign Ministry, reported that 26 foreign leaders will take part in the military parade in Beijing, including Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Belarus’s self-proclaimed president Alexander Lukashenko, and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un.