Kim Jong Un to join Putin at Xi’s military parade in Beijing

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will visit China for the military parade on September 3, a rare trip that would place him alongside other world leaders attending, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kim “will soon visit the People’s Republic of China at the invitation of Xi Jinping” to participate in the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the end of the World War Two, North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said on Thursday. China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency also reported on Kim’s trip.

The parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two is a major event on the political calendar for Chinese President Xi, who will be at the center of much of the activity in Tiananmen Square.

“China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors, connected by mountains,” Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei said at a briefing Thursday, referring to North Korea by its official name. “China stands ready to work with the DPRK to continue to strengthen exchanges and cooperation and advance socialist development.”

Beijing has been North Korea’s main backer for years, providing a lifeline that has kept its economy afloat. The US and its partners have repeatedly urged Beijing to use its influence over North Korea to curb Kim’s nuclear ambitions.

Kim and Xi haven’t met in person since June 2019, when the Chinese leader visited Pyongyang and called for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Before that, Kim traveled to Beijing four times in 10 months, as he sought China’s support in resetting ties with the US and South Korea.

Russian ties

In recent years, North Korea has drawn closer to Russia. US and South Korean officials say Pyongyang has supplied weapons and troops to support Moscow’s war against Ukraine. The upcoming visit will be Kim’s first overseas trip since his 2023 talks with Putin, and his first to China since January 2019.

Kim’s appearance alongside Putin and Xi is set to underscore the growing ties among the three leaders and signal a willingness to coordinate more openly in challenging US-led international norms. For Kim, the trip elevates North Korea’s diplomatic standing, giving Pyongyang a seat at a table with some of the world’s most powerful leaders.

Xinhua on Thursday released the full list of 26 foreign heads of state and government who are set to attend the event, including the leaders of Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Belarus, Iran, Serbia and Slovakia. South Korea will be represented by National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik.

Even so, Pyongyang’s warming ties with Moscow pose a dilemma for Xi. He has tried to project neutrality on the war in Ukraine, while seeking to improve ties with the US and its allies. With China’s struggling economy still reliant on exports, Xi has an interest in keeping external relations stable.

The announcement of Kim’s trip comes just days after President Donald Trump said he’d like to meet the North Korean leader this year, touting their “very good relationship.”

Trump met Kim three times during his first term, but the encounters failed to persuade the North Korean leader to scale back his nuclear weapons program.

© 2025 Bloomberg

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