Lam Peng Er, principal research fellow from the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore, said North Korean leader Kim's visit to China on Sept 3, 2025 "demonstrates to the North Koreans and the world that he has powerful Russian and Chinese friends who treat him with respect".
"China also shows that it has convening power and political influence to bring Putin and Kim Jong Un together," he told AFP.
China has touted the grand parade as a show of unity, and Kim's attendance is the first time he has been seen with Xi and Putin at the same event.
It is only his second reported trip abroad in six years.
Kim was accompanied on the trip by his daughter Kim Ju Ae, who was pictured arriving at Beijing Railway Station, and his sister Kim Yo Jong, who was photographed by AFP at a gala lunch on Wednesday.
Getty Image/BBC
Putin and Kim held talks after Wednesday's parade, during which the Russian president thanked Kim for deployments of North Korean soldiers to aid Russia in its conflict with Ukraine.
The video and still images and youtubes of Xi, Putin and Kim showed that “China is unafraid to stand by its friends and be their literal fellow traveller, even and perhaps especially when they are pariahs in the court of international public opinion,”
China's flag was raised high as a military band played during a military parade marked the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II.
It is true millions of Chinese people were killed during a prolonged war with imperial Japan in the 1930s and 40s -- which became part of a global conflict following Tokyo's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
The choreographed event drew an acidic response from President Donald Trump who accused the three leaders of plotting against the United States.
"Give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America," he wrote on Truth Social.
During the 90-minute parade, Xi inspected the massed troops and weaponry from an open-topped limousine down Beijing's vast Chang'an Avenue, before turning back to join his guests in a seating area above the iconic portrait of Mao Zedong on Tiananmen, the entrance gate of the historic Forbidden City.
Beijing residents went out into the streets to catch a glimpse of a spectacular flypast involving scores of warplanes and helicopters, some making an "80" formation. People had children in their arms !!
China's huge collection of military vehicles and heavy weapons rolled past the dignitaries, while images of thousands of servicemen and women in immaculate uniforms marching in tight ranks and soldiers jumping in and out of vehicles were shown in a slick state media broadcast.
Besides the ICBMs, new underwater drones and supersonic missiles counted among the latest gear on display.
It is striking to see Kim, who has long been isolated, given such a distinguished position at the parade.
One key takeaway from the parade is that China has been able to quickly produce a diverse range of weapons, say experts.
Ten years ago, the kind of military technology they put on show tended to be "rudimentary copies" of much more advanced equipment invented by the US, says analyst Michael Raska, assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University.
But today's parade showed a much more innovative and diverse range of weapons, particularly in its drones and missiles. China's top-down structure and significant resources enables it to churn out new weapons in huge quantities much faster than many other countries including the West.
But there is still the question of how well China's military can integrate all these weapons systems, he adds, pointing out that its massive size and lack of recent battlefield experience are hindrances -- says BBC correspondent Tessa Wong.
China has been focusing on developing its missiles and rocket forces as it sees them as a key part of its deterrence strategy - and counter the US' naval superiority, notes Alexander Neill, adjunct fellow with the Pacific Forum.
The US Navy is unrivalled in the world with the largest fleet of aircraft carriers and carrier strike groups, with China still far behind. But there is a debate now in the Western defence community on the relevance and vulnerability of these strike groups, as they effectively are "sitting ducks" to any missile attacks, points out Neill.
"There is this idea that Beijing wants to develop its credible deterrence, but also create a second strike capability," he says, referring to the capability of a country to launch a retaliatory strike if attacked.
"This is why it's expanding its diversification of its missile platforms."
Kim tells Putin it is 'fraternal duty' of North Korea to help Russia
No comments:
Post a Comment