China to invite Trump to Sept military parade marking WWII victory

China is planning to invite US President Donald Trump to a military parade scheduled for September 3 in Beijing's Tiananmen Square to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The United States, meanwhile, has proposed that Chinese President Xi Jinping visit the country during the same month, coinciding with a UN General Assembly meeting in New York, reports Kyodo News.

If either plan is realised, it would be the first in-person meeting between the leaders of the world's two largest economies since Trump's return to the White House in January for a nonconsecutive second four-year term.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend the parade in Beijing, held to commemorate what China calls its victory in the 1937-1945 War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. A joint celebration of war victory by the leaders of China, Russia and the United States would likely pose a diplomatic challenge for Japan.

During their phone talks on June 5, Xi invited Trump to visit China again, for which the US president expressed heartfelt appreciation, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Trump, who last visited in 2017, said he reciprocated the invitation.

Even if Trump himself is eager to travel to China, Beijing believes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, known as a longtime China hawk, and many other senior US officials may oppose the president's attendance at the military parade.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government is reluctant to have Xi visit the United States, concerned about a Xi-Trump version of the Oval Office meeting in February where Trump publicly berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

It is considering having Premier Li Qiang attend the UN meeting instead. The United Nations marks the 80th anniversary of its founding this year.