Twenty-six foreign leaders will attend China's V-Day commemorations in Beijing at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei announced on Thursday.

The leaders include Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

China will stage a massive military parade on September 3 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

President Xi will survey tens of thousands of troops at Tiananmen Square alongside the foreign dignitaries and senior Chinese leaders.

The parade, expected to be one of China's largest in years, will showcase cutting-edge equipment like fighter jets, missile defence systems and hypersonic weapons.

"We hold the military parade to show our firm determination to pursue the path of peaceful develop, our strong will to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and our great capability to safeguard world peace and tranquillity," Hong told a press conference.

"No matter what level of development China reaches, we will never seek hegemony, expansion or arms race. We will firmly be a force for peace, stability and progress in the world."

China will hold a gala at the Great Hall of the People in the evening of September 3 as part of the V-Day commemorations.

Others attending the commemorations include presidents Aleksandr Lukashenko of Belarus, Masoud Pezashkian of Iran and Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia as well as South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik. (Xinhua/Reuters)