North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to attend navy parade in Beijing subsequent week

HONG KONG — North Korean chief Kim Jong Un will make a uncommon worldwide go to subsequent week to attend a navy parade within the Chinese language capital, Chinese language state media reported Thursday.

The parade in Beijing on Sept. 3 is being held to mark the eightieth anniversary of the finish of World Conflict II.

In line with Xinhua, China’s state-run information company, heads of state and authorities from 26 nations will likely be on the parade, together with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Leaders from the US and its allies usually are not amongst these anticipated to attend, partly out of protest over Putin’s persevering with battle in opposition to Ukraine.

The Chinese language Ministry of Overseas Affairs mentioned China and North Korea had been “conventional pleasant neighbors” and that the federal government “warmly” welcomed Kim to attend the occasion.

“Throughout the arduous years of battle, the peoples of China and North Korea supported one another and fought facet by facet in opposition to Japanese aggression, making vital contributions to the victory of the worldwide anti-fascist battle and the reason for human justice,” Hong Lei, director-general of the ministry’s Division of Protocol, advised reporters.

Different leaders Xinhua mentioned had been attending embrace Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, head of the navy authorities in Myanmar.

Kim not often leaves North Korea, which has been remoted by worldwide sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile packages.

It was not instantly clear when he would depart for China or how lengthy he can be there. Kim has not visited China, North Korea’s neighbor and largest buying and selling companion, since earlier than the Covid-19 pandemic.

China-North Korea ties have been strained in recent times by North Korea’s rising partnership with Russia, the place North Korea has despatched artillery and troops to assist Moscow in its battle in opposition to Ukraine. Consultants say that in change Russia could also be offering superior navy expertise that North Korea might use for its weapons packages.

Kim’s final abroad journey was in September 2023, when he and Putin met at a spaceport in Russia’s Far East. Putin additionally made a visit to Pyongyang, the place he and Kim signed a mutual protection pact in June 2024.

President Donald Trump, who had three in-person conferences with Kim throughout his first time period, has repeatedly expressed curiosity in reviving denuclearization talks that broke down in 2019, together with throughout a White Home summit on Monday with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

North Korea has dismissed the concept, saying Trump should settle for it as a nuclear state.