An axis of autocracy will be on full display in Beijing next week as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits his counterparts in China and Russia. He will attend a military parade on Wednesday that has been boycotted by the world’s leading democracies.
The event, marking the 80th anniversary of WWII’s end, will feature Vladimir Putin, prompting the snub from the U.S. and major European nations. This highlights the growing ideological divide between autocratic and democratic nations.
This is Kim’s first trip abroad in years, a necessary pilgrimage to his primary patron, China. The visit is crucial for reinforcing the economic ties that keep his regime in power.
The image of Kim, Xi, and Putin together will be a chilling one for supporters of democracy. It is a public declaration of their shared opposition to liberal values and a signal of their intent to promote an alternative model of governance.