The Chinese president Xi Jinping On Tuesday, the Chinese government welcomed its Russian counterparts, Vladimir Putin, and North Korean counterparts, Kim Jong Un, to Beijing, where they met in public for the first time in a show of solidarity between regimes marginalized by the West. The meeting, which precedes a massive military parade planned for September 3, marks a significant moment of rapprochement between these opposing powers.
During his meeting at the Great Hall of the People, Putin praised the "unprecedented" level of Russian-Chinese relations and thanked his "dear friend" Xi for the welcome. Meanwhile, Kim Jong Un's armored train continued its journey to the Chinese capital, having left Pyongyang to attend celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender.
Iran will also be represented at the ceremonies, reinforcing the image of a bloc of autocracies gathered around Beijing. Some Western analysts are calling this grouping the "Axis of Upheaval," noting that it comes as the US president's isolationist policies Donald Trump weaken Washington's traditional alliances.
Beyond the diplomatic and military pomp, observers are closely monitoring the possibility of deeper defense cooperation. Russia and North Korea already signed a military pact in June 2024, while Beijing has also strengthened its security ties with Pyongyang. Such a rapprochement could shift the strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific, where tensions are already high around Taiwan and the South China Sea.
This trilateral meeting illustrates Xi Jinping's desire to position himself as an alternative to the US-dominated international order by rallying around him dissenting partners. It also represents a snub to Donald Trump, who had boasted of his personal relationships with Putin, Xi, and Kim, but finds himself marginalized by this show of collective strength.
