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For Kim, standing with Xi and Putin offers legitimacy and approval

Published: 04 Sep. 2025, 18:30

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, far right, stands next to Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Victory Day military parade held in Beijing on Sept. 3. [NEWS1]

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stood side by side with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on Wednesday, in a highly symbolic show of solidarity and elevated influence on the international stage.

Analysts say Kim is likely to use this platform to further advance his nuclear capabilities, while seeking military support from Russia and economic assistance from China as he looks for new diplomatic openings.

Kim drew attention to his debut on the multilateral stage through careful choreography. Though he had no official schedule upon arriving at Beijing Railway Station on Tuesday, he made headlines simply by bringing along his daughter and supposed successor Kim Ju-ae. China paid its respects by sending Cai Qi — the fifth-most powerful figure in the Communist Party and a close aide to Xi — to greet him.

On Wednesday morning, Kim joined Xi and Putin atop the Tiananmen Gate to observe the Victory Day military parade. There were no major remarks or gestures, but the mere fact that the leader of a country under international sanctions for illegal nuclear development stood alongside the leaders of China and Russia — both recognized nuclear powers — was a powerful symbol.

The optics effectively signaled a declaration that North Korea, China and Russia intend to form the core of an anti-U.S. coalition.

Considering China and Russia’s status as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, the scene raised concerns that existing sanctions on Pyongyang could become irrelevant.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrive for an official reception held at the Banquet Hall of the Great Hall of the People to mark the 80th anniversary of victory over the militarist Japan and the end of World War II in Beijing on Sept. 3. [TASS/YONHAP]

At the luncheon reception following the parade, Kim was seated next to Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan, a sign that Beijing offered him the second-highest level of protocol after Putin.

After lunch, Kim held bilateral talks with Putin, exchanging remarks regarding troop deployments, continuing a narrative aimed at legitimizing their unlawful military cooperation.

On Thursday morning, Kim remained out of the public eye, reportedly staying at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing. The centerpiece of the trip — a summit between Kim and Xi — was announced, though the exact date was not specified, by the Chinese Foreign Ministry later on Thursday afternoon.

When the summit takes place, it could mark the full restoration of the two countries’ once-fragile “blood alliance” in the wake of the war in Ukraine.

With the backing of China and Russia — both high-value diplomatic players — Kim is expected to pursue bolder actions at home and abroad.

North Korea is scheduled to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party on Oct. 10. High-level delegations from China and Russia may attend the celebration, and a surprise visit to Pyongyang by Xi is not entirely out of the question.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, right together in a vehicle in this photo released by the state-run Rodong Sinmun on Sept 4. [RODONG SINMUN]

Speculation is also growing over a potential visit by Kim to Moscow. Putin invited Kim to the Russian capital during their summit, saying, “If you are ready to hold talks, come to Moscow,” according to Russian state media, including TASS.

This raises the possibility that Kim Jong-un will visit Moscow for the first time ever. The North Korean leader met Putin in Vladivostok in April 2019 and at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in September that same year, but has never been to the capital.

Experts say the current moment is ideal for Pyongyang to advance its nuclear program, potentially offering Kim tacit approval from Xi and Putin to accelerate the production of nuclear materials with their encounters in Beijing.

In return for military support to Russia, North Korea may look to secure technologies related to intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear-powered submarines — areas in which its progress has so far been limited.

Kim is expected to maintain a hardline stance toward both the United States and South Korea for the time being, using China and Russia as his diplomatic shield. He is likely to reject any return to denuclearization talks and instead push for arms control negotiations that could earn North Korea de facto recognition as a nuclear-armed state.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is seen entering a banquet hall in Beijing next to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin after the Victory Day military parade on Sept. 3. [NEWS1]

The presence of Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Ju-ae, at the Chinese Victory Day event also carried generational symbolism, suggesting Pyongyang’s intent to sustain its alliance with Beijing and Moscow well into the future.

“By placing his daughter on a multilateral diplomatic stage rich with military symbolism, Kim aimed to show the regime’s permanence,” said Lee Byung-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University. “He wanted to emphasize that North Korea is not just a short-term partner but a long-term ally of China and Russia — while also drawing international attention and calming internal unrest.”

The developments pose a challenge to President Lee Jae Myung’s North Korea policy. During the South Korea-U.S. summit on Aug. 25, Lee proposed the idea of “pacemaking diplomacy,” which was met with an openness to engagement from U.S. President Donald Trump.

But the emergence of a North Korea-China-Russia coalition makes Lee’s strategy of improving inter-Korean ties through U.S.-North Korea detente increasingly difficult.

Kim’s stronger desire to be acknowledged as a nuclear-armed state, coupled with his decision to ignore Trump’s diplomatic overture and fly to Beijing to meet Xi and Putin for what appeared to be anti-U.S. coordination, makes a resumption of trilateral dialogue unlikely in the near future.

A military parade celebrating the 80th anniversary of China's Victory Day is being held in Beijing on Sept. 3. [NEWS1]

On Wednesday, Seoul’s presidential office declined to offer a detailed assessment, saying only that it is "closely monitoring" the situation.

Behind the scenes, officials are believed to be meticulously analyzing Xi’s message, the movements and remarks of Kim and Putin, and the symbolic significance of the military parade.

Still, a Ministry of Unification official said Thursday that while the image of the three leaders standing together suggests a strengthening of the anti-U.S. front, “it is also possible that North Korea may use its improved ties with China and Russia as leverage to engage in talks with the United States.”

“We are preparing for all possibilities,” the official added.

Some observers say Kim’s decision to appear on the multilateral stage could be interpreted positively as a move toward outward engagement.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, arrives to attend a meeting with the Russian president at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China on Sept. 3. [EPA/YONHAP]

But the crystallization of a dynamic pitting a South Korea-U.S.-Japan front against a North Korea-China-Russia alliance could pose a serious diplomatic burden for Seoul. With Lee having already declared an end to South Korea’s past policy of “security with the United States, economy with China,” Seoul's strategic maneuverability between the two superpowers is expected to shrink.

Lee is scheduled to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York starting Sept. 23. A meeting with Trump or a trilateral summit with U.S. and Japanese leaders may take place.

As the United States, China and Japan are all expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju in late October, Korea’s strategic positioning as the host country will take on even greater significance.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK HYUN-JU [[email protected]]