SEOUL, Sept 3 — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is in China for a high-profile visit, a rare step beyond his country’s borders for prospective meetings with President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
The trip could be Kim’s bid to “formalise” ties with Pyongyang’s two main allies – and potentially play a more prominent role on the international stage, experts say.
Beijing is hosting a massive military parade on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II.
Kim and Putin are among more than 25 world leaders slated to attend, marking the first time the two men have appeared alongside Xi at the same event.
Their presence “formalises the China-Russia-North Korea trilateral (relationship) to the public”, Soo Kim, a geopolitical risk consultant and former CIA analyst, told AFP.
