Nine leaders say they'll attend event

At least nine foreign national leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, have confirmed they will attend Beijing's military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45), media reports say. South Korean President Park Geun-hye will announce her decision no later than next week, her spokesman said.

The leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - all members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization - have confirmed they will come to Beijing for the celebration, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

Czech Republic President Milos Zeman was the first European Union leader to accept President Xi Jinping's invitation to attend the celebration, according to Russia's Sputnik News Agency.