Kim Jong Un arrives in Beijing by armoured train to join China Xi Jinping and Russia Vladimir Putin ahead of a historic Victory Day parade. Image: Ommcom News.
(The Post News)– North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to Beijing on Tuesday via his signature green armored train to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of one of modern China’s largest military parades.
The visit marks the first time during Kim’s 14 years in power that he has participated in a multilateral international summit. It is also the first trilateral appearance by the three leaders, symbolizing what analysts refer to as greater solidarity against American power.
Kim Jong Un’s Rare Diplomatic Outing
Kim, who normally avoids flying, departed Pyongyang on Monday. His inching but well-guarded train took a side trip along the route to visit a North Korean research facility where engineers allegedly are developing a new engine for a “next-generation” intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of firing multiple nuclear warheads.
The latest weapon development is an indication of Pyongyang’s continuing efforts to enhance missile technology that one day will be capable of penetrating U.S. missile defense systems.
Though no official confirmation of a trilateral summit has been announced, Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov told Russia’s TASS news agency that a Putin-Kim summit “was being considered. “Xi and Putin, in contrast, publicly reaffirmed their friendship in public declarations, with Xi declaring that Putin was his “old friend” and Putin referring to Xi as his “dear friend.”
Beijing Parade: A Show of Military Might
Kim’s visit coincides with China’s four-day celebration of hosting global leaders, beginning with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and concluding with Wednesday’s Victory Day parade.
It commemorates the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender during World War II and will feature tens of thousands of troops, hundreds of aircraft, and China’s latest weapons, including new anti-drone technology and advanced armored vehicles.
The National Intelligence Service of South Korea said Kim is expected to stand with Xi and Putin in Tiananmen Square in the parade, symbolically placing him in the center of a high-geopolitical-stakes spectacle.
Kim’s trip to the parade is the first by a North Korean leader to Beijing since 1959. Pyongyang had sent its top official, Choe Ryong-hae, in 2015, but it wasn’t attended by Kim himself. His trip this year is a diplomatic move, as he wishes to strengthen relations with Beijing while maintaining close coordination with Moscow.
North Korea has increasingly looked to Russia over the past few years, supplying an estimated 15,000 troops and significant amounts of ammunition to aid Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Pyongyang has gotten economic assistance and military technology transfers in return.
Relationships with China have been tense, however. Analysts maintain Kim’s visit to the Beijing parade is perhaps part of an effort to balance relations with China, North Korea’s largest trading partner and its economic lifeline.
Kim’s Legendary Train
Kim’s train, which has up to 90 carriages with bedrooms, conference rooms, restaurants, and armored Mercedes transport cars, has been one of the largest symbols of North Korean leadership.
Photos released on Tuesday showed that Kim was on a cigarette break alongside the side of a green carriage with gold crests. Behind him, he was sitting at a wood panel desk between North Korean flags with his trademark cigarette case, a laptop, and telephones within reach.
The railway legacy goes back to his father, Kim Jong Il, and grandfather, Kim Il Sung, both of whom took the train around extensively. The stories of past trips include trains packed with crates of good wines, lobsters, and even lounges illuminated by bouquets of flowers, a mix of extravagance and paranoia true to the regime’s governing mode.
Despite the invitations sent to 26 leaders, most Western leaders have refused to show up, claiming Russian opposition to war in Ukraine. The only European Union leader to show up is Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, while Hungary and Bulgaria will be represented.
Myanmar, Iranian, Cuban, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Vietnamese leaders are also attending, displaying Beijing’s zeal to expand influence across Southeast Asia and the Global South. Tomorrow’s parade will last around 70 minutes, and China will display its revised force structure for the first time in its entirety.
For Kim, the platform in Beijing offers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to come out of isolation, solidify ties with major allies, and show North Korea as a leading player in the new global order.
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