Why Kim Jong-un’s military parade presence could signal a China-North Korea realignment
Last Updated on August 29, 2025 10:00 pm
By Shi Jiangtao and Laura Zhou
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s coming visit to China – his first in over six years – for a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II could reinvigorate Beijing-Pyongyang ties and signal a broader strategic realignment, according to observers.
For the first time, Kim will appear alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on September 3, in what analysts said would be a rare show of unity and a calculated act of defiance against US-led pressure.
China’s foreign ministry and North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency confirmed the visit on Thursday, but neither disclosed the trip’s duration or itinerary.
Source :SCMP