During Beijing’s September 3rd military parade, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin discussed immortality and organ transplants, shocking the public. (Screenshot from NTD video)
[People News] On September 3 in Beijing, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong-un appeared together for the first time during China’s grand military parade. Commentators described the three leaders as forming a new “Axis of Turmoil.” However, German media noted that despite their display of unity, deep divisions remain among them. Kim Jong-un, while resentful toward Beijing, framed his support for Russia as a “brotherly duty” — a move also meant to pressure Xi Jinping into granting North Korea more benefits.
According to the Kremlin, after the parade, the two leaders shared a car to the meeting venue. Their delegations first met collectively, followed by a one-on-one session between Kim and Putin at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. The talks lasted more than two hours.
On September 3, Kim told Putin: “If there is anything I can do for you and for the Russian people, I regard it as a brotherly responsibility, an obligation that we must bear, and I am ready to give my utmost assistance.”
North Korea’s KCNA reported the next day that Kim pledged “full support” for Russia’s military.
Putin, for his part, publicly praised North Korea for sending soldiers to fight on the Russian side in Kursk. He described Russia–North Korea relations as “special ties built on trust, friendship, and alliance,” and invited Kim to visit Russia again.
Kim last visited Russia in 2023, when the two met at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East. They exchanged rifles as gifts, and Kim toured an aircraft factory.
In June last year, Putin visited Pyongyang, and the two sides signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement to strengthen defence cooperation. Under the agreement, if either country is attacked by a third party, the other will provide assistance.
In November last year, North Korea sent 11,000 soldiers. According to Western officials, around 4,000 of them were killed or wounded, yet Pyongyang and Moscow have only deepened their cooperation since.
In July, a new assessment by Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence Agency revealed that North Korea plans to dispatch another 25,000 to 30,000 troops to the Russia–Ukraine frontlines in the coming months.
The image of Putin, Xi, and Kim walking side by side on the red carpet and ascending Tiananmen together sparked heated debate, with many calling it the “dictators’ alliance.”
According to Deutsche Welle, some experts argue that the three leaders’ political agendas and priorities still diverge, making their partnership more of a temporary alignment. North Korea, as the weakest player, may prove the most unpredictable factor.
Dan Pinkston, an international relations scholar at Troy University’s Seoul campus, noted that Kim Jong-un’s grandfather, Kim Il-sung, also played Beijing and Moscow against each other in the 1970s and 1980s, leveraging Sino-Soviet rivalries to extract better terms for Pyongyang.
Pinkston said Kim Jong-un was “very pleased” to be invited to the parade, as it signalled recognition as an “equal partner.” Since Kim has strongly supported Russia’s war against Ukraine, “he clearly believes he deserves corresponding rewards.”
Pinkston added that Kim also seeks to reduce overreliance on Beijing: “He harbours resentment toward China and wants to diversify partners. From his perspective, this is wise. But for Xi Jinping, it’s worrisome.”
He explained: “Beijing does not want North Korea getting too close to Russia.” By showcasing closeness with Putin, Kim can pressure Xi into offering concessions in order to maintain Chinese influence over Pyongyang.
Last year, South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo reported that multiple North Korean insiders revealed how, after Beijing tightened pressure on Pyongyang, Kim began referring to the CCP as a “sworn enemy.” In July, he even instructed North Korean diplomats in China “not to watch Beijing’s face.” The exact context and reason for Kim’s “sworn enemy” remark remain unclear, but Beijing had recently cracked down on North Korean smuggling, seized goods belonging to Kim, and refused to return them — a hardline stance that likely provoked Kim’s anger.
This was not Kim’s first time using the term “sworn enemy” for China. Back in 2015, he declared: “Japan and the United States are century-long sworn enemies, but the CCP is our 5,000-year sworn enemy.” △
News magazine bootstrap themes!
I like this themes, fast loading and look profesional
Thank you Carlos!
You're welcome!
Please support me with give positive rating!
Yes Sure!