N Korea’s Kim joins Xi, Putin for show of force to rival Trump

China’s President Xi Jinping convened Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean President Kim Jong Un in Beijing for the first time on Tuesday, a show of solidarity with countries shunned by the West over their role in Europe’s worst war in 80 years.

Xi hosted Putin for talks at the Great Hall of the People and then at his personal residence, calling him his “old friend”. A few hours later, Kim Jong Un's armoured train was spotted arriving in the Chinese capital. North Korean state media confirmed Kim's arrival, showing his daughter Kim Ju Ae accompanying him.

Ju Ae, whom South Korean intelligence consider her father's most likely successor, is making her international debut after years of being seen next to Kim at major domestic events. The North Korean state media said Kim expressed his thanks to Xi for his hospitality.

The three are set to take centre stage at a massive military parade on Wednesday, where the Chinese president will flaunt his vision for a new global order as US President Donald Trump’s “America First” policies strain Western alliances.