North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will travel to China next week for the first time since 2019 to attend a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and China’s resistance against Japan. The event, scheduled for September 3 in Beijing, will bring together 26 foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, highlighting an alignment among the three nations at a time of heightened U.S. partnerships with South Korea and Japan.
Kim was invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping, with Beijing‘s Prime Minister emphasising the importance of consolidating the historic relationship between the two countries. It has also been noted that while Kim has engaged with several world leaders, including Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Xi, as well as South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the interactions have been strictly bilateral, high-profile summits. Thereby, the meeting set to take place next week would be the first major multilateral event the South Korean leader would be attending since he rose to power in 2011.
Suggestions have been made that Kim’s appearance signals a bid to project himself as a more conventional international figure while strengthening solidarity with countries that lean toward Russia and China. His cooperation with Moscow has deepened since the Ukraine conflict, with North Korea reportedly supplying munitions in exchange for economic and military support.
The parade is expected to showcase China’s latest military hardware and also feature a keynote address from Xi. The gathering will also be the first occasion where Xi, Putin, and Kim are present concurrently at an international event. Analysts have interpreted it as a symbolic counterweight to closer defence cooperation between the United States, South Korea, and Japan.
Nevertheless, cautions have been delivered regarding the rocky nature of the relationship between Beijing, Moscow and Pyongyang despite them having similar strategies.China remains North Korea’s largest trading partner, accounting for nearly 97% of its external trade in 2023, while its ties with Russia have developed largely due to the war in Ukraine.
Kim’s trip may also serve a dual purpose, with speculations being made that he could use the visit to request additional economic aid from China ahead of major domestic anniversaries, including the 80th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party that will be held this October. Others speculate that Kim’s visit could reinvigorate his diplomatic stance with Washington, especially given Trump’s recent indication of interest in resuming talks.
