North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is travelling to Beijing by train on Tuesday to participate in a grand military parade alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to reports from North Korea’s state media. The event, marking the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II, could underscore the growing alignment between these three nations against the US.
Kim and Putin will join 26 other world leaders in Beijing for the event on Wednesday. This will be Kim’s first time attending a major multilateral event in his 14-year rule and marks the first time that Xi, Putin, and Kim – all critical adversaries of the US – will meet at the same venue. Though the three countries have not confirmed any trilateral meeting, the event could be a significant moment in international diplomacy, reports AP.
Kim’s train departed Pyongyang on Monday and entered China early Tuesday, as confirmed by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS). Kim, accompanied by top officials like Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, is expected to receive similar security protocols as Putin. NIS officials anticipate that Kim will stand alongside Xi and Putin at Tiananmen Square for the parade and may hold bilateral meetings with the two leaders while also engaging with other world leaders at a reception.
This marks Kim’s first visit to China since 2019 and his fifth visit in total since succeeding his father as leader of North Korea in 2011. He is expected to meet with Xi and Putin during his time in Beijing, and the possibility of a trilateral meeting between the three leaders remains a point of interest.
Kim’s recent foreign policy has been heavily focused on Russia, which has been supplying North Korea with military aid in exchange for support in the war against Ukraine. North Korea has sent thousands of troops and military construction workers to Russia, with reports suggesting many casualties.
While North Korea’s relationship with China has deteriorated in recent years, experts believe Kim may seek to strengthen ties with Beijing, given China’s importance as North Korea’s key trading partner. Kim’s participation in the Beijing parade may also be seen as part of an effort to enhance his diplomatic reach, particularly in cooperation with countries allied with Russia and China.
In the lead-up to his departure for China, Kim visited a missile research institute in North Korea to assess progress on a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) engine, which could represent a new generation of missiles capable of defeating US missile defense systems.
