Kim Jong-un to Attend Beijing Military Parade, Signaling Closer Ties with China & Russia
North Korean leader Kim jong-un will make his debut on the multilateral diplomatic stage this week by attending a military parade in Beijing commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The event is expected to bring Kim together with chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President vladimir Putin, potentially setting the stage for a three-way summit.
This marks the first time Kim,who assumed power in 2011,will participate in a multilateral diplomatic event - a tradition his grandfather,Kim Il-sung,followed in 1959. The timing of Kim’s trip coincides with expressed willingness from both South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump to resume diplomacy with North Korea, but analysts believe Kim’s presence alongside Putin and Xi signals a preference for strengthening ties with China and Russia.
Over the past year, North Korea has significantly deepened its relationship with Russia, providing troops and weaponry to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine and receiving crucial resources and assistance in return. This alignment has reportedly strained relations with China, though recent gestures, such as north Korean official Choe Ryong-hae’s attendance at a Chinese Embassy event, suggest a recent thaw.
experts believe Kim’s trip serves multiple purposes.It aims to solidify the burgeoning North Korea-Russia partnership, potentially anticipating a shift in Moscow’s focus westward as the Ukraine war evolves. It also seeks to mend ties with China and leverage those strengthened relationships to improve North Korea’s bargaining position should negotiations with the US resume.
According to reports, Kim will be seated to the left of Xi Jinping during the parade, with Putin to Xi’s right. Kim is expected to travel to China by train,a mode of transport he has favored in recent years.
“Kim’s trip implies his intent to use it as an opportunity to further strengthen North Korea-China, North Korea-Russia and North Korea-China-Russia solidarity to counter Western countries,” stated Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies, “at a time all three countries are under their sanctions.”
