A united front of autocratic leaders will be on display in Beijing next week as North Korea’s Kim Jong Un joins China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. The three will preside over a military parade on Wednesday commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The event serves as a clear counterpoint to the Western democratic alliance. The decision by leaders from the U.S. and major European nations to boycott the parade over Putin’s presence only reinforces the image of two opposing global camps.
This visit is Kim’s first to China since 2019, a crucial mission to reaffirm ties with his most indispensable partner. With China dominating North Korea’s economy, this trip is essential for ensuring the regime’s stability.
The gathering is a public declaration of a shared worldview and a coordinated strategy. It comes as North Korea provides military backing to Russia, and their joint appearance will be seen as a formalization of their challenge to the liberal international order.