In a scene that will alarm Western democracies, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin will flank their Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Beijing next week. The trio will observe a military parade on Wednesday marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The event has been boycotted by leaders of the U.S. and major Western European countries, who are protesting Putin’s presence. This absence only serves to highlight the autocratic nature of the gathering.
This trip is Kim’s first to China since 2019, a vital mission to reaffirm his alliance with his country’s primary economic and political supporter. The visit is crucial for North Korea’s stability amid international isolation.
The gathering of the three leaders is a stark visual representation of an emerging anti-democratic axis. It is a public display of their shared opposition to the liberal international order and a signal of their intent to challenge it.