Kim Jong Un will visit China for the first time in six years, attending a military parade, and meeting Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin to boost diplomatic standing. Photo Credit: X/@Reuters
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is all set to visit China this week for the first time in six years. The visit will mark his debut on a multilateral stage since taking office 14 years ago. During the visit, he will also attend a military parade in Beijing on September 3.
Kim will meet the Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is already in Beijing for the SCO Summit. This marks the first time that the three leaders will attend the same event together.
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China's foreign ministry stated that they expect 26 foreign leaders at the parade, which celebrates 80 years since the end of World War II and China's resistance against Japan. We warmly welcome General Secretary Kim Jong Un to China to attend the commemorative events,” said Hong Lei, China’s assistant foreign minister. He further mentioned, “Upholding, consolidating and developing the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK is a firm position of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government.”
The experts say that Kim's presence at the military parade is a big boost to his international profile. Soo Kim, a former CIA analyst, stated that Kim, Xi, and Putin's attendance at the parade together suggests a clear alignment between the three countries.
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Victor Cha of CSIS said that Xi might utilize this moment to reset ties with Kim; he said, “Xi may be more gracious than usual with Kim for this purpose.”
Irrespective of the close ties with Russia, China remains North Korea's prime economic partner, handling 97% of its trade in 2023. Experts believe that Kim may seek Chinese aid for the upcoming domestic events, including the Workers' Party anniversary in October.
Moon Seong Mook, a Seoul-based analyst, said Kim likely wants to “form solidarity with those Global South countries while showing he’s leader of a normal country.”
