North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to attend victory celebration in China, KCNA says

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will visit China to attend China’s victory celebration next week marking the formal surrender of Japan during World War II, North Korea’s state media KCNA said on Thursday.

Kim is visiting at the invitation of China’s President Xi Jinping, KCNA said.

Beijing has been one of North Korea’s traditional allies and a major economic lifeline for the isolated state, though China joined other countries like the U.S. in applying international sanctions in 2017 on Pyongyang’s nuclear program.

Xi and Kim met several times in 2018 and 2019. Kim visited China in January 2019 and Xi travelled to Pyongyang and met Kim in June 2019.

Since 2020 and through the COVID-19 pandemic, relations between North Korea and China also likely soured over issues such as China pushing for the repatriation of North Korean labourers, experts say.

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During this period North Korea and Russia have also become closer militarily and Pyongyang has sent armaments and troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will also visit China to attend the military parade in Beijing next week, China’s foreign ministry said.