North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a new missile production facility, a move signaling heightened military ambitions ahead of his rare visit to China for a major military parade. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim visited the undisclosed factory, likely in Jagang province near the Chinese border, on August 31, praising its automated assembly lines designed to boost missile production. The inspection underscores Kim’s push to accelerate munitions output, particularly as North Korea supplies Russia with artillery, ballistic missiles, and thousands of troops for its war in Ukraine.

Kim’s visit comes just before his first trip to China in six years, where he will join Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a Beijing military parade on September 3, marking the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end and China’s resistance against Japanese aggression. The event, attended by 26 foreign leaders, is seen as a bold display of a China-Russia-North Korea alignment against U.S. influence, particularly as Washington strengthens ties with South Korea and Japan. South Korean media speculated Kim might travel by train on September 1, citing tightened security in Dandong, China, where rail traffic was halted and hotels barred foreign guests.

The factory tour highlights North Korea’s deepening military ties with Russia, with Kim approving plans to enhance missile production capabilities. South Korean officials note that North Korea has ramped up arms manufacturing to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a strategic move to bolster ties with Moscow amid a foreign policy aimed at countering U.S. dominance. Since aligning with Russia, North Korea has grown vocal on global issues, issuing statements on conflicts in the Middle East and the Taiwan Strait, positioning itself as part of an anti-Western front.

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China, North Korea’s largest trade partner and economic lifeline, plays a critical role in Kim’s strategy. His attendance at the Beijing parade is seen as an effort to strengthen ties with Xi Jinping and gain leverage ahead of potential future talks with the U.S., especially under President Donald Trump, with whom Kim met three times during Trump’s first term. Those talks collapsed in 2019 in Vietnam when the U.S. rejected North Korea’s demands for sanctions relief in exchange for partial denuclearization.

As Kim prepares for his high-profile China visit, his focus on missile production raises concerns about escalating regional tensions. The Beijing parade, set against the backdrop of global trade disruptions and U.S. tariffs, underscores the growing alignment among North Korea, China, and Russia, signaling a united challenge to Western influence and setting the stage for a volatile geopolitical landscape.

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