Myanmar’s dictator greets North Korean leader at Beijing parade marking WWII anniversary

Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing briefly greeted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a military parade held in Beijing on Tuesday to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. Footage and photos shared by Myanmar military propaganda outlets showed the pair exchanging greetings among other world leaders attending the event. However, there were no reports of a formal meeting. The two countries have not exchanged high-level delegations since September 2015, when North Korea’s then-foreign minister Ri Su Yong visited Myanmar. It is unclear how those ties have evolved since Myanmar returned to military rule following the 2021 coup. In 2018, a UN investigation found that North Korea had supplied ballistic missiles, surface-to-air missiles, and other weaponry to Myanmar through its state-run arms dealer, the Korea Mining and Development Trading Corporation—evidence of covert military cooperation despite international sanctions. China, a key ally of both regimes, hosted the anniversary event with foreign leaders gathered in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. In May, Min Aung Hlaing also attended a similar event in Moscow, held to commemorate the defeat of Nazi Germany, bringing an end to War War II in Europe. Russian president Vladimir Putin was also among those present at the parade in Beijing on Tuesday, signalling his strengthening ties with Xi since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. On Monday, Xi, Putin, and India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, held centre stage at a gathering in the Chinese city of Tianjin, where Modi also met with Min Aung Hlaing the day before. In a Facebook post on the meeting, Modi called Myanmar “a vital pillar of India’s Act East and Neighbourhood First Policies” and said that the two sides discussed boosting ties in “areas like trade, connectivity, energy, rare earth mining and security.” Min Aung Hlaing also thanked Xi on Monday for using China’s influence to rein in anti-junta forces in Myanmar.

Myanmar’s dictator greets North Korean leader at Beijing parade marking WWII anniversary

The brief encounter comes as China uses its growing diplomatic influence to support pariah regimes aligned with its interests

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