Beijing: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will attend China's military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II next week. This event will be his first joint appearance with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as reported on Thursday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, China is set to conduct a large-scale military parade on September 3 at Tiananmen Square in Beijing to commemorate the anniversary of what it regards as victory in the struggle against Japan in 1945. Kim's anticipated visit underscores a potential thaw in North Korea-China relations, previously strained by Pyongyang's close ties with Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced that Kim will visit China at Xi Jinping's invitation to participate in the celebrations of the anniversary. Hong Lei, China's assistant minister of foreign affairs, confirmed Kim's attendance at the parade, listing him among state leaders from 26 countries invited by Xi. Notable attendees include Russian President Putin and South Korea's Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, along with leaders from Vietnam, Indonesia, and Iran, as well as officials from the United States, France, and Britain.
Hong expressed optimism about Kim's visit, stating China's intent to bolster cooperation with North Korea to promote regional peace and uphold international justice, aiming to strengthen their historical friendship. Since assuming power in 2011, Kim has visited China four times, with meetings with Xi occurring during each visit.
Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, suggested that Kim's trip to China might be part of a strategy to repair strained ties with Beijing, especially in light of the potential conclusion of the Russia-Ukraine war, which could shift Moscow's attention westward. Yang also speculated that Kim's attendance might lay the groundwork for multilateral dialogue and potentially a North Korea-U.S. summit.
If the visit proceeds as announced, it will mark Kim's first appearance at an international gathering, effectively serving as his debut on the stage of multilateral diplomacy. It will also be the first time Kim, Xi, and Putin convene together as their nations form a joint front against the trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan.
Observers are keen to see whether Kim will encounter South Korea's assembly speaker at the September 3 ceremony. Although China initially considered President Lee Jae Myung's attendance, South Korea opted to send Woo as the highest-ranking representative, reflecting its alliance with the U.S. Despite Lee's efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea, Pyongyang has rebuffed these overtures, with little expectation of a meeting between Kim and Woo.
Seoul is reportedly considering inviting Kim to the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, scheduled for late October. Following a recent summit between President Lee and U.S. President Donald Trump, where Trump expressed interest in meeting Kim again this year, Seoul is exploring the possibility of arranging a meeting between the two leaders at the APEC summit.