The Kremlin noted on the 29th that at the 80th anniversary parade of the victory day to be held in Beijing, China, on Sept. 3, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and North Korean Commissioner Kim Jong-un will sit side by side.
According to local media, including the TASS news agency, Yuri Ushakov, a foreign policy advisor to the Kremlin, said this during a briefing explaining President Putin's schedule for his visit to China from the 31st to the 3rd of next month.
President Putin will first attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held in Tianjin, China, and then move to Beijing to meet with President Xi and attend the victory day 80th anniversary commemorative parade held in Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3.
In particular, Ushakov explained, "President Putin will sit to the right of President Xi as the guest of honor, while Commissioner Kim will attend to the left of President Xi." The scene of the leaders of North Korea, China, and Russia sitting side by side is expected to draw attention.
He mentioned that the possibility of President Putin holding talks with Commissioner Kim during the visit to China is also being considered. If the meeting takes place, the two leaders will meet again after about 1 year and 3 months since September 2023 and June 2024.
Ushakov noted that during President Putin's visit to China, meetings are scheduled with over ten leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.