BEIJING: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin joined Chinese President Xi Jinping at a major military parade in Beijing on Wednesday morning.
The three leaders appeared together in a highly choreographed display that capped a week of diplomatic activities positioning China against Western powers.
China showcased its military capabilities with troop formations, aerial flypasts and displays of advanced weaponry during the seventy minute event at Tiananmen Square.
The parade commemorated eighty years since the end of World War II, during which millions of Chinese citizens perished in conflict with imperial Japan.
All eyes focused on the rare public appearance of Kim Jong Un, who seldom leaves North Korea and was accompanied by his daughter Kim Ju Ae according to South Korean intelligence.
The event followed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin where Xi criticised what he called bullying behaviour by certain countries, while Putin defended Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Security across Beijing intensified significantly in recent days with road closures, military personnel deployment and extensive barriers lining the capital’s boulevards.
Military enthusiasts identified new systems in rehearsal footage including potential laser weapons, anti-ship missiles and cutting-edge underwater drones.
Satellite imagery revealed hundreds of military vehicles and aircraft assembling at a northwest Beijing base in preparation for the parade.
Kim Jong Un’s arrival via his distinctive olive-green train marked only his second reported international trip in six years following his withdrawal from global diplomacy after the 2019 Hanoi summit collapse.
Analysts noted the gathering demonstrates North Korea’s powerful alliances and China’s convening power to bring together anti-Western leaders.
Former US President Donald Trump stated he was not concerned about the meeting between the three leaders during a radio interview. – AFP
