North Korea's Kim will meet with Xi and Putin at Chinese military parade
[August 28, 2025]
By HYUNG-JIN KIM and KEN MORITSUGU
BEIJING (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will make his first visit
to China in six years to attend a military parade next week, the two
countries said Thursday, in an event that would bring him together with
a large group of world leaders for the first time since taking office in
late 2011.
With Russian President Vladimir Putin also coming for the parade, the
event will underline the three-way alignment among Beijing, Moscow and
Pyongyang in the face of a U.S. push to bolster its alliances with South
Korea and Japan.
North Korea’s state media said Kim was invited to visit China by
President Xi Jinping. Kim will be among 26 foreign leaders who attend
next Wednesday’s parade in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the
end of World War II and China’s resistance against Japan’s wartime
aggressions, China's foreign ministry said.
“We warmly welcome General Secretary Kim Jong Un to China to attend the
commemorative events,” Hong Lei, China’s assistant minister of foreign
affairs, told a press conference. “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.”
DPRK refers to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s
official name.
Kim's first attendance of a multination event
Since inheriting power upon his father’s death in December 2011, Kim has
met Xi, Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump, former South Korean
President Moon Jae-in and others. But all those summits were bilateral
meetings and Kim hasn’t attended any big multilateral events with
foreign leaders.
“Given that other leaders attending are mostly from pro-Russia and
pro-Chinese countries, Kim likely intends to form solidarity with those
Global South countries while showing he’s leader of a normal country,"
said Moon Seong Mook, an analyst for the Seoul-based Korea Research
Institute for National Strategy.
Observers say Kim is likely emboldened by his country's expanding
cooperation with Russia, which has helped him bear the brunt of U.S.-led
sanctions and break out of diplomatic isolation. North Korea has been
supplying troops and ammunition to support Russia's war against Ukraine
in return for economic and military assistance.
Others coming for the parade include the leaders of Iran, Belarus,
Serbia, Cuba, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan and Malaysia. No leaders from
major Western countries including the U.S. are expected to attend, in
part because of their differences with Putin over the war in Ukraine.
The parade is expected to feature some of China’s newest weaponry and a
speech by Xi.
It'll the first time Xi, Kim and Putin gather at the same event
China, North Korea and Russia are embroiled in separate confrontations
with the U.S., but they haven't formed a clear three-way alliance so
far.
Xi, Putin and Kim haven't met in trilateral formats, though they've met
one another bilaterally.
“Kim’s attendance is significant for his own international stature, but
it also holds weight in the balance of alliances between the U.S. and
China,” said Soo Kim, a former CIA analyst. “Xi, Putin, and now Kim
attending the parade cements a visible statement about the alignment
between the three countries.”
The three leaders likely share desires to check the strengthening
cooperation among the U.S., South Korea and Japan, which have been
meeting regularly and expanding trilateral military exercises. Despite
their shared goals, it’s not clear how far China, North Korea and Russia
will go to further cement ties.
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In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a speech at a meeting held during
Dec. 23 until Dec. 27, 2024, in Pyongyang, North Korea. Independent
journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in
this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content
of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified.
(Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)
China remains the largest purchaser of Russian oil and technology
provider supporting the Russian war machine, though it is officially
neutral in the conflict.
China has also long been North Korea's biggest trading partner and main
aid provider, but there have been questions about their relations in
recent years. Chinese group tours to North Korea have remained suspended
for years.
Kim's China trip may signal his interest in resuming US diplomacy
Kim’s visit to China could also be related to efforts to restart
diplomacy with Trump, who has repeatedly highlighted his relationship
with Kim and expressed his hopes to resume talks.
In all, Kim traveled to China four times from 2018 to 2019 to meet Xi.
His first and fourth visits happened just before he met Trump for their
earlier high-stakes nuclear negotiations.
“Pyongyang’s illicit cooperation with Moscow has strained ties with
Beijing, even as China’s political and economic support remains vital
for the North Korean regime,” said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of
international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.
“To reengage Trump from a position of strength, Kim seeks to repair
relations with Xi, and attending the parade in Beijing is a highly
visible way of doing that,” Easley said.
During a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Washington
earlier this week, Trump spoke of one of his past summits with Kim at
the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Responding to a question over whether he
would return to the Demilitarized Zone, Trump told reporters, “I loved
it. Remember when I walked across the line and everyone went crazy.”
North Korea has so far dismissed Trump’s outreach, but many analysts say
it would return to talks if it determines the U.S. would make bigger
concessions.
North Korea likely wants greater cooperation with China
While Kim's foreign policy priority is Russia now, many observers expect
him to take steps to improve ties with China. It's unclear if North
Korea and Russia would maintain the same level of cooperation after
Ukraine war ends.
In 2023, about 97% of North Korea’s external trade was with China, while
1.2% was with Russia, according to Chinese data.
Cheong Seong-Chang, deputy head of private Sejong Institute in South
Korea, said Kim likely decided to go to China to ask for assistance as
North Korea needs resources for lavish celebrations of two domestic
events — the 80th anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party in October
and a party congress early next year.
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Kim reported from Seoul, South Korea. Christopher Bodeen in Taipei,
Taiwan contributed to this report.
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