North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is arriving in Beijing on Tuesday morning, having crossed the Chinese border in an armoured train before a massive military parade tomorrow.
Kim will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin for the coming massive spectacle of the Chinese military's prowess. Kim’s meeting with Xi and Putin will be important and will be closely watched by Washington and Brussels, as their presence on one platform aims to demonstrate strength and unity amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Besides Kim and Putin, 23 more leaders are attending Wednesday’s parade centred on Beijing’s iconic Tiananmen Square to mark 80 years of Japanese surrender since World War II. Millions of Chinese people were killed by the Japanese imperialist forces from the 1930s to the 1940s.
The Japanese forces during that time committed acts of war against humanity and committed sexual crimes against both genders while performing Nazi-style medical experiments in the camps.
Also Read: Kim Jong Un meets families of soldiers killed in Ukraine
China has touted the parade as a show of unity with other countries, and Kim's attendance will be the first time he has been seen with Xi and Putin at the same event. Security around Beijing has intensified in recent days, with road closures, military personnel stationed on bridges and street corners, and miles of white barriers lining the capital's wide boulevards.
During the summit, Xi slammed "bullying behaviour" from certain countries -- a veiled reference to the United States -- while Putin defended Russia's Ukraine offensive, blaming the West for triggering the conflict.
Also Read: North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to meet Xi, Putin in Beijing
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