Kim and Putin to Join Xi at China’s Military Parade
North Korea’s state news agency confirmed Kim’s attendance, making this his first visit to China since 2019. Kim, who has rarely traveled abroad since assuming power in 2011, has only made 10 foreign trips.
His most recent journey was in 2023 when he met Putin at a Russian spaceport. For Kim, the parade offers a rare platform to appear alongside global leaders aligned with the alternative order promoted by Xi and Putin.
A Display of Military Power
The grand spectacle comes during a period of global uncertainty, with shifting alliances and tensions over Taiwan and regional disputes. A total of 26 foreign leaders will attend, including Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic, and Slovakia’s Robert Fico.
Leaders from major Western nations will not attend, despite China’s historic role in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
The 70-minute event will include more than 10,000 troops, over 100 aircraft, and hundreds of military vehicles. China will showcase advanced technology such as hypersonic weapons, drones, missile-defense systems, and strategic missiles.
Officials emphasized that all the equipment on display is domestically developed and already in service, with many pieces being unveiled publicly for the first time.
Geopolitical Ties and Regional Impact
China has long been North Korea’s most important political and economic partner, linked by a mutual defense treaty signed in 1961. However, North Korea has also strengthened its relationship with Russia, particularly during Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Last year, Kim and Putin signed a defense pact pledging military assistance if either nation is attacked, a development that unsettled the US and its allies.
China continues to emphasize its historic friendship with North Korea, recalling their cooperation against Japan eight decades ago.
Officials have reiterated Beijing’s willingness to deepen exchanges, strengthen socialist development, and collaborate closely on regional peace, stability, and fairness in the international order.
