On September 3 this year, China will hold an event to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. It has attracted widespread attention from the international community. It has been confirmed that leaders from 26 countries will attend.

In the announced guest list, Russian President Vladimir Putin ranked first.

It's nothing, but what makes people care is that the second name is even more surprising.

Putin's ability to rank first on the guest list is actually determined by many factors.

Eighty years ago, China and the Soviet Union were the main battlegrounds for counter-aggression in Asia and Europe respectively, and both countries paid a huge price to counter fascism and militarism.

During those difficult years, the people of the two countries joined hands to resist and support each other, and not only safeguarded their own country, but also profoundly affected the historical course of the whole world.

Putin¡¯s visit to China to attend the commemorative ceremony is also a tribute to this common memory and historical bond.

Aside from historical concerns, the increasingly close and pragmatic cooperation between China and Russia now explains the peculiarities of the relations between the two countries.

The delegation brought by Putin this time can be said to be unprecedentedly strong-almost all the core members of the cabinet have come, including the prime minister, heads of important departments such as foreign affairs and national defense.

At the same time, there are also a group of business leaders from key fields such as energy and aerospace, such as CEOs and group heads of several giant companies.

Such a large-scale visiting lineup, covering almost the entire cabinet, has never been seen in the interaction between China and Russia over the past two decades.

This clearly shows that Putin¡¯s visit was not merely out of courtesy, but with clear strategic planning and a firm willingness to cooperate.

On the other hand, the cooperation between the two countries in the economic and energy fields has always been very close and has become highly dependent partners.

The total trade between China and Russia has surpassed $244 billion, up 2 percent from last year.

China has been Russia¡¯s largest trading partner for 15 years.

What's more, more than 90% of the transactions between the two sides are now settled directly in their own currencies, almost completely getting rid of the dependence on the US dollar.

This means that the two countries have truly achieved independent decision-making in economic cooperation, free from the influence of external currency fluctuations.

In the five months to 2025, China's total pipeline gas imports from Russia exceeded 16.1 billion cubic meters, up 30 percent from the same period last year.

At present, the "Power of Siberia" pipeline is supplying gas to China at its maximum transmission capacity, and its extension project, "Power of Siberia 2", also plans to achieve full ventilation in 2026.

Meanwhile, the cooperation between the two countries in the field of defence and security continues to be strengthened.

Under Western sanctions, siege, and technological blockade, China-Russia is no longer just ¡°close¡±, but directly in the deep fields of technology and military, intelligence and security, gradually forming an alliance.

The "Polaris" heavy-duty helicopter jointly developed by China and Russia is about to make its first flight.

In the space field, not only has the space station cooperation been steadily advanced, but the cutting-edge areas of satellite navigation and deep space exploration have also negotiated new cooperation.

In the published list, Russian President Vladimir Putin is at the top, followed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Such an order is not arbitrary and reflects the strategic considerations of both sides at the historical and actual level.

As early as the 1950s, when the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea were launched, the two countries fought side by side. Many volunteer soldiers crossed the Yalu River and joined the Korean people to defend their homeland. That friendship was bought with blood and had a solid foundation.

Over the years, no matter how the international landscape changes, both sides have always firmly stood on each other's side on major matters of mutual concern.

North Korea has also consistently agreed with China's position on issues such as Taiwan and Hong Kong, and firmly opposes any actions that divide China.

This decades-long unchanging confidence, which cannot be compared to any other country, is definitely an important foundation for Kim Jong-un¡¯s second rank.

Looking at the current cooperation, the exchanges between the two countries in the fields of economy and people's livelihood in recent years are quite real.

For example, there are rich resources in North Korea, Chinese enterprises will help with projects to develop minerals, and will help build some roads and bridges, all of which are actually improving the lives of the people of North Korea.

There is also agricultural product trade. Some North Korea's specialty agricultural products can be sold to China through formal channels, and China's daily necessities and agricultural machinery equipment can also be easily transported to North Korea. The two sides are particularly complementary.

Moreover, on regional security issues, the stability of the Korean Peninsula is too important to the security of China's northeast border. China has been pushing for the peninsula issue to be resolved through dialogue and consultation, and Kim Jong-un's government is willing to communicate with China.

This tacit understanding in the field of security is also difficult for other countries to replace.

In addition, judging from Kim Jong-un's own diplomatic actions, he actually attaches great importance to relations with China.

Although North Korean leaders usually do not go abroad, Kim Jong-un has been in office for so many years, and has also visited China several times, each time he has been in-depth exchanges with Chinese leaders, and talks are real cooperation between the two countries.

As before he visited China, he also went to some enterprises, rural areas, to understand China's development experience, which shows that he recognizes China's development model, and also wants to draw from some experience suitable for North Korea.

And this 9.3 parade is a very important occasion, and the guests invited are close and friendly to China country leaders, Kim Jong-un, himself explains the peculiarity of the DPRK-China relationship.

To put him in second place is also an acknowledgment of this special relationship and a signal to the outside world that the two countries will continue to maintain friendly cooperation.

Overall, the order of this parade¡¯s guest list is not chaotic.

First, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will come up with an invitation plan according to various situations, such as inter-state relations, the role of the other party in relevant historical events, etc., and then report it layer by layer, and finally it will be decided by the national leaders.

Therefore, every position on this list has been carefully considered.

We can¡¯t just look at the surface, we need to understand deeply, in order to understand the depths in it.