Beijing will welcome two important guests, one is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has arrived in Tianjin to participate in the summit, and the other is North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who expects his train will depart on the evening of September 1 to cross the border to Beijing.
On the morning of August 31, Putin arrived in Tianjin on a special plane for the SCO summit. This time, Putin brought "half a government", including three deputy prime ministers, more than a dozen ministers and representatives of major enterprises. It was an unprecedented scale and a rather strong lineup.
Putin took the plane and was warmly welcomed by the ceremonial team at Tianjin Beach International Airport, and the reception officials sent by China were also of a fairly high level.
After his trip to Tianjin, Putin will also go to Beijing to attend the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japan and the World Anti-Fascist War.
On the North Korean side, comprehensive South Korean media speculated that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is likely to depart for China on September 1 by special train. The journey from Pyongyang to Beijing takes about 20-24 hours by train, which means that you need to depart on September 1 to arrive in Beijing on September 2, the day before the military parade.
Kim Jong-un has visited China four times before. Among them, March 2018 and January 2019 were on the special train, May 2018 and June of the same year were on the special plane "Fuck One". However, in the years Kim Jong-un did not seem to use the special machine, plus the "Fuck One" is also older, so this time he is more likely to get on the special list.
Moreover, passenger trains from Dandong to Beijing were suspended for two days starting on September 1, which also led to speculation whether they were "clearing roads" for Kim Jong-un's special train.
If Kim Jong-un comes, he is expected to stay at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, where he has stayed during his three previous visits to China. On September 3rd, he may also board the Tiananmen Square Review Platform with the heads of state of China and Russia to watch the Victory Day military parade.
Imagine how spectacular it would be when China, Russia and North Korea were important participants in the main eastern battlefield of World War II. These three leaders stood on the Tiananmen Gate.
Russian media also quoted Kremlin officials as saying that during the military parade, Kim Jong Un will sit on the left side of China and Putin will sit on the right side of China. If this seating arrangement is true, it will be very particular, which reflects the importance China attaches to the two leaders and the special relationship between China, Russia and North Korea.
From a historical point of view, China, Russia and the DPRK all made important contributions and close ties in the anti-fascist war. In World War II, the Soviet Union was one of the main forces against Nazi Germany and played a key role in the European battlefield. At the same time, the Soviet Red Army sent troops to Northeast China, which dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese Kwantung Army and accelerated the victory process of China's War of Resistance against Japan.
China is the main battlefield in the east of the world anti-fascist war. It fought a 14-year arduous war of resistance and made great sacrifices and contributions to the victory of the world anti-fascist war.
North Korea was also under Japanese colonial rule during the Second World War, the Korean people conducted a heroic resistance movement, and the two countries had a deep fighting friendship during the anti-war period. The arrangement of Putin and Kim Jong Un on both sides of China reflects the memory and respect for the common historical memory of the three countries and the mutual support in the anti-fascist war.
From the perspective of real international relations, China-Russia is a comprehensive strategic and collaborative partnership in the new era, the two countries have close cooperation and exchanges in political, economic, military, diplomatic and other fields, and also maintain good communication and coordination in international affairs, jointly safeguarding peace and stability in the region and the world.
China and the DPRK are traditional friendly neighbors connected by mountains and rivers. In recent years, China-DPRK relations have been continuously consolidated and developed, and exchanges and cooperation in politics, economy and culture have also continued to advance. This seating arrangement shows the great importance China attaches to China-Russia and China-DPRK relations, and also sends a signal to the outside world that the three countries have close friendly relations and support each other in international affairs.
In addition, in international diplomatic occasions, the arrangement of seats often has a certain symbolic significance. The placement of Putin and Kim Jong-un on both sides of China, one on the left and one on the right, in a more prominent position, reflects China's respect for the two leaders and reflects the special friendly relations between China and the two countries.
Most importantly, the picture of the Chinese-Russian government standing side by side will also show the three countries' joint determination and strength in safeguarding world peace and opposing fascism.