Beijing became the center of global diplomatic attention this week as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare and highly symbolic visit, culminating in a pivotal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People on September 4, 2025. The summit, their first in six years, unfolded against the dramatic backdrop of a massive military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II—a gathering that not only showcased China’s military might but also brought together an unprecedented trio: Kim, Xi, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kim’s journey began on September 2, when he arrived in Beijing by his signature green armored train, accompanied by his teenage daughter, making her first public appearance on foreign soil. This raised eyebrows among analysts, with some speculating she might be groomed as his successor. Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, a prominent official in North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, also joined the delegation, underscoring the importance Pyongyang placed on this diplomatic mission, according to Reuters and China Daily.
The following day, Kim joined 26 other foreign leaders—including Putin, Iranian, Pakistani, and Belarusian dignitaries—at the grand parade in Beijing. The event, as reported by CNN and AP, was not only a display of China’s growing international stature but also a rare opportunity for Kim to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the world’s most influential and controversial figures. For Kim, it was the first time since taking office in 2011 that he participated in such a large-scale multilateral event, highlighting the occasion’s gravity for North Korea’s isolated regime.
On September 4, the highly anticipated talks between Xi and Kim took place. Both leaders pledged mutual support and enhanced cooperation, with Xi emphasizing that China’s commitment to its strategic relationship with North Korea would remain steadfast, regardless of international developments. “This position will not change regardless of how the international situation evolves,” Xi declared, according to South China Morning Post. He described the two countries as “good neighbours, good friends and good comrades that share a common destiny,” and called for strengthened strategic coordination in international and regional affairs to safeguard their mutual interests.
Kim, for his part, lauded the parade as “our celebration” and congratulated Xi on its “successful and grand” execution, stating, “China’s celebration is our celebration,” as captured by China Daily. He further indicated North Korea’s willingness to “enhance exchanges with China at all levels,” reflecting a desire to restore and deepen the historically close relationship between Beijing and Pyongyang.
The significance of this summit was not lost on observers. As AP and CNN noted, Kim’s attendance and subsequent talks with Xi carried great weight, especially given North Korea’s recent pivot toward Russia. Over the past year, Kim has sent combat troops and ammunition to support Russia’s war in Ukraine in exchange for vital economic and military assistance. In fact, Kim and Putin held a separate two-and-a-half-hour meeting on the parade’s sidelines, where Putin praised the bravery of North Korean soldiers fighting in Ukraine and invited Kim to visit Russia. Kim responded by pledging “full support” for Russia’s army as a “fraternal duty,” according to Reuters.
This burgeoning North Korea-Russia alliance has not gone unnoticed in Beijing. While China remains North Korea’s largest trading partner—accounting for over 95% of its total trade—and its only formal treaty ally since the Korean War, the deepening ties between Pyongyang and Moscow have been met with unease among Chinese policymakers. Edward Howell, a lecturer at the University of Oxford, told CNN that China is not “angry” about the rapprochement, but rather “emetic, nauseous, and uneasy.” The concern is that Moscow’s military assistance could further embolden Kim’s regime, which has drastically accelerated its missile and nuclear weapons programs in recent years.
Despite these tensions, China has continued to assist North Korea in evading international sanctions and has refrained from intervening directly in Russia-North Korea dynamics. Beijing’s approach, as Howell noted, is to maintain influence over the Korean Peninsula while allowing Pyongyang to extract benefits from both Moscow and Beijing. For China, the ultimate goal remains stability on its northeastern border and the prevention of any escalation that might draw the United States further into the region’s security affairs.
The joint appearance of Kim, Xi, and Putin at the parade inevitably sparked speculation about a new anti-Western bloc. Former U.S. President Donald Trump even weighed in on social media, suggesting the trio was conspiring against the United States. Putin, however, dismissed these claims during a news conference in Beijing, saying, “The President of the United States is not without a sense of humor,” and insisted that no one had expressed anything negative about the Trump administration during his visit, as reported by AP.
Experts, meanwhile, caution against overinterpreting the optics of unity as evidence of a formalized alliance. Zhu Feng, dean of Nanjing University’s School of International Relations, told AP that “ganging up” with North Korea would damage China’s image, given Pyongyang’s reputation as the world’s most closed and authoritarian country. “It should not be overinterpreted that China-North Korea-Russia relations would see reinforcement,” he advised.
Still, the flurry of diplomatic activity this week underscores the shifting sands of Northeast Asian geopolitics. With North Korea leveraging its relationships with both China and Russia to maximize its own security and economic interests, and China carefully balancing its desire for regional stability with its unease over Kim’s unpredictability, the future of the peninsula remains as complex as ever. As Xi put it during his meeting with Kim, “China is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges and strategic communication with North Korea... enhance mutual understanding and friendship, step up interactions at all levels, and carry out practical cooperation across fields.”
Kim’s armored train left Beijing late on September 4, signaling the end of a visit that, while steeped in pageantry, may have lasting implications for the power dynamics of East Asia. For now, China stands firm in its commitment to North Korea, even as new alliances and rivalries continue to reshape the region’s delicate balance.