SEOUL, September 03 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stood alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at Beijing's "Victory Day" parade on Wednesday, a rare display that United States lawmaker Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) called "provocative," while drawing close attention in Seoul.
The parade, held at Beijing's Tiananmen Square to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, showcased China's military power and its narrative of resilience against foreign aggression.
Xi, in his keynote speech, hailed China's wartime victory as "building a Great Wall of flesh and blood" and said humanity again faces a choice between "peace and war, dialogue and confrontation, win-win cooperation and a zero-sum game." Though he did not mention the U.S., the remarks were widely seen as a veiled challenge amid escalating U.S.-China rivalry.
For the first time in 66 years, the three leaders linked by Cold War-era ties appeared together on the same stage.
In Washington, Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) described the display as "provocative" and said Kim's appearance with Xi and Putin reflected what she called the "Unholy Alliance" of authoritarian regimes. “When Kim Jong Un rallies with like-minded authoritarian regimes, it raises serious questions about his willingness to negotiate with the United States,” she told AJP in a written interview.
President Donald Trump, writing on Truth Social, urged Xi to recognize America's role in World War II, saying “Many Americans died in China’s quest for Victory and Glory" and should be honored for their sacrifice.
Kim's trip marked his first visit to China since January 2019 and his first appearance on a multilateral diplomatic stage since assuming power in late 2011.
South Korean experts said Kim's presence amounted to a successful debut on the multilateral stage. Cheong Seong-chang, vice president of the Sejong Institute, said Kim received protocol second only to Putin, walking to Xi's left during the procession and sitting in a prominent position on the Tiananmen reviewing stand. The treatment, he said, exceeded what then-South Korean President Park Geun-hye received when she attended the 2015 parade.
Cheong also pointed to Kim's history of meeting Xi before engaging Washington. In both 2018 and 2019, he traveled to Beijing shortly before holding summits with Trump. This suggests Kim may again be seeking leverage before potential talks, though it was unlikely to have been the central focus of his visit.
Kim's daughter Ju-ae accompanied him to Beijing but was absent from the parade. Her presence abroad nonetheless reinforced speculation that she is being groomed as his successor.
The rare display underscored what some see as a widening geopolitical divide, placing China, North Korea and Russia on one side and Japan, South Korea, and the U.S. on the other. While speculation has mounted over a possible trilateral meeting, experts say bilateral talks are more likely.
Indeed, Kim and Putin held a bilateral summit on the day of the military parade, after attending a banquet and traveling together to the meeting venue.
At the meeting, Putin thanked North Korean troops for fighting in Ukraine and described ties between Moscow and Pyongyang as "friendly and reliable," Russia's Tass news agency said. It was their third meeting in less than two years, following summits in Russia in September 2023 and in Pyongyang in June 2024.
reporter
Cheon Soram
cheons@ajupress.com
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