Kim Jong Un will join Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at a major military parade in Beijing next week, North Korean and Chinese state media have announced.
The dictator will make the rare trip abroad as China marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Mr Putin’s presence had already been confirmed. He and Mr Kim will be among 26 foreign leaders at the event, with none expected from the US or Western Europe.
China, Russia, and North Korea are close allies. Beijing has long been Pyongyang’s biggest aid and trading partner, while Mr Kim has been providing the Russian president with troops for his war in Ukraine.
There are currently no details of exactly when and for how long Mr Kim will be in China. It’s set to be his first visit in some six years – before the pandemic.
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But it may not be the last of his major global summits of the year, with Donald Trump having said earlier this week he fancies another meeting with the North Korean.
The pair had an unprecedented meeting during the US president’s first term, and he’s suggested they could reunite later this year.
