Three days later, a train will travel from Pyongyang to Beijing. According to the current situation, the North Korean leader attended the 80th anniversary parade of China's anti-war victory, and the most likely choice of transportation is not an aircraft, but a collective. The reason is simple, the "Eagle One" in his hand has looked old, and in recent years he has repeatedly abandoned the choice of specialized trains. Many people think this is for safety reasons, and there are also people who say it is a symbol of political tradition.
If you stretch the Timeline, there are several special points in this military parade. First of all, this is the first time that the leaders of China, Russia and North Korea have made public appearances at the same stage. In the current international environment, this picture sends a very strong signal to the outside world. Reuters, BBC, Bloomberg and other media have all described it as "rare" and "milestone."
Secondly, for the North Korean leader himself, this is an unprecedented diplomatic scene. In the past, although he has visited Russia, Singapore and Vietnam, it has been bilateral meetings and has not participated in any multilateral diplomatic activities. This time, he will appear with the leaders of more than two dozen countries, which is equivalent to officially stepping into a larger international stage.
The reaction from the South Korean side was also quite subtle. The Korean media quickly followed up with reports that the speaker of the South Korean National Assembly, Yu Won-sik, would attend the event in China, which would be the first opportunity for high-level officials of the two Koreas to "share the same frame" on an international occasion. There was even news that Yu Won-sik and the North Korean leader had face-to-face contact in 2018 and had a drink together. If they did meet in Beijing, it is reasonable to say hello. But the problem is that North Korea has clearly defined South Korea as a "hostile country" in the constitution, and the relationship between the two sides has long been frozen. Therefore, if they really want to meet, they may just nod and exchange pleasantries, and it is unlikely that there will be more in-depth interaction.
In addition to the leaders of the Russian Federation, most of the leaders of Southeast Asia, especially the regional powers of Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, have joined together, compared with a decade ago, when they sent only special envoys, and now send heads of state or government, which in itself shows a significant increase in importance to China.
There are also a "delegation" visit by leaders of five Central Asian countries and the President of Belarus. Behind this is not only the arrangement of the Shanghai Cooperation Summit, but also the result of China's expanding influence in Central Asia. The only slight deficiency may be that the participation of African and Middle Eastern countries is not high, but this does not mean that there is a problem with the relationship, but that the history of World War II is not so deeply remembered by them.
Just as preparations for the military parade have been completed and waiting for the opening ceremony, the United States is not idle. According to Nikkei Asia, U.S. Defense Secretary Hagerseth has expressed the wish to hold a phone call with the Chinese Defense Minister, and the timing is very particular-after the military parade on September 3. The meaning is obvious. The United States is waiting to see China's diplomatic and military display before making the next move.
China remains cautious about this and has not yet made a clear response. Japanese media believe that the United States 'move is more to avoid misunderstandings and hopes to pave the way for a possible future meeting between the heads of state of China and the United States. If it does happen, it will be the first high-level military exchange between China and the United States since Trump's second term.
From here we can see a subtle balance: Beijing is preparing to hold a large-scale parade, the Russian-Russian leaders will be present, China-Russian-Russian relations further closer. while the Washington side is trying to maintain communication with China through military dialogue, to avoid being completely excluded. This shows that the United States is also adjusting the gesture, not wanting to let the Sino-US relations completely out of control. But the Chinese side's attitude is consistently, look at actual actions, not listen to verbal statements. In the past few years, the United States has been constantly provoking on Taiwan, the South China Sea, economic sanctions and other issues, and the Chinese side is clear that it is impossible to change the fundamental contradiction by just one call.
At the same time, the outside world is also paying close attention to what new equipment the People's Liberation Army will display in this military parade. According to the introduction of the Ministry of National Defense, most of the weapons and equipment unveiled this time are active main battle equipment, many of which are making their first public appearances. Hypersonic missiles, new drones, anti-unmanned equipment, directed energy weapons, etc. are all the focus of attention from the outside world. In particular, the anti-unmanned combat system just corresponds to the new trend in the current hot conflicts in the world. American and western media generally believe that China will show its military strength through the military parade, and at the same time, it will attract potential military partners. After all, countries including Pakistan are already using Chinese warplanes and missiles, and have achieved practical results on the battlefield.
It can be seen that this military parade itself is not only a commemoration of the victory of World War II, but also an opportunity for China to show its strength to the world and demonstrate its status as a great power. The Chinese side has repeatedly emphasized that holding a military parade is not a show of force, but a demonstration of its determination to maintain peace. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made it clearer: China has never taken the initiative to provoke war, never occupied other countries' land, and never engaged in proxy wars. These facts are indeed unique among major powers. In contrast, the United States and NATO countries have launched countless wars over the past few decades. What China wants to emphasize is that even with a strong military, it still follows the path of peaceful development.
And from the whole pattern, this parade brought more than just the thrill on the scene. It embodies a reality: multipolarization is accelerating, the world is forming a new combination of forces. China-Russia relations are steadily advancing, China-Korea relations are continuing to warm up, Central and Southeast Asian countries are proactively approaching, China's appeal and influence on the global stage is significantly increased. The United States is still strong, but its control in East Asia and the world has weakened compared to a decade ago, which is why the outside world is especially sensitive to this parade and related diplomatic activities.
In short, three days later, the scene of the 93 military parade will be broadcast live all over the world, and it is hard to say whether the "shout" of the US Defense Secretary will be answered. But what is certain is that this military parade has attracted the focus of the whole world. This is not only a commemorative activity, but also a display of diplomatic direction. Who is present, who is absent, who is enthusiastic and who is cold is a living political map of the world in itself.