Unveiling the Motives Behind Kim Jong-un's Uncommon Journey to China

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is set to visit China this week, marking a significant step in his diplomatic efforts. This visit, according to reports, is expected to include prospective meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

The visit to Beijing is seen as a fresh push by Kim to improve Pyongyang's ties with China, following his outreach to Moscow. Lim Eul-chul, a professor at South Korea's Kyungnam University, suggested that a successful Beijing trip could help Kim secure future diplomatic wins.

If Kim manages to secure Xi's visit, it would elevate the North Korean regime's status to its highest level, according to Lim Eul-chul. This will be the first time Kim and Putin have appeared alongside Xi at the same event.

The visit is also seen as formalizing the China-Russia-North Korea trilateral relationship. North Korea and Russia have grown closer since Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Kim's trip could be an attempt to hedge against Xi improving ties with South Korea's new president, Lee Jae Myung. The Chinese leader is set to visit South Korea later this year for a major summit.

By deepening military cooperation with Russia, Kim was able to emerge from global isolation following years of heavy UN-led sanctions over his banned weapons programs. Kim's sending of weapons and thousands of troops to help Moscow earned him a stronger position globally.

Vladimir Tikhonov, a Korean Studies professor at the University of Oslo, suggested that Putin could serve as a go-between for Kim and former US President Trump. The possibility of a reciprocal visit by Xi to Pyongyang for a key anniversary in October was raised.

Cheong Seong-chang at Seoul's Sejong Institute stated that Kim Jong Un's trip to Beijing could signal a return to foreign diplomacy. After his visit to China, Kim's next planned visit has not been publicly announced or specified. The latest reports focus on his meeting in Beijing and the strengthening of relations with China and Russia, but no confirmed information about his subsequent destination is available.

Kim Jong Un, Putin, and 25 other heads of state are scheduled to attend a military parade in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. The upcoming diplomatic engagements promise to shape the geopolitical landscape in the region and beyond.