All eyes on solidarity between Pyongyang, Beijing, Moscow

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un steps off his private train upon arriving in Beijing, Tuesday, the day before a commemorative military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Xinhua-Yonhap

The heads of North Korea, China and Russia are set to meet during a major military parade in Beijing on Wednesday, during which they are expected to display trilateral solidarity and strengthen ties between the three nations, according to the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and experts Tuesday.

The NIS, however, saw little chance of Kim Jong-un, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin meeting for a trilateral summit, which would be a first for them.

Kim arrived in Beijing late Tuesday afternoon via his private train, nearly a day after departing from Pyongyang.

In one of the photos of the North Korean leader emerging from his armored train, his daughter Kim Ju-ae was visible behind him, fueling speculation that he may be grooming her as his heir. It marks her first time joining her father on a visit to China, let alone at a multilateral gathering.

Accompanied by senior party and government officials, including Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, Kim will attend the large-scale military parade in China to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a date Beijing commemorates as its victory over Japan.

A motorcade bearing North Korean flags drives through downtown Beijing, Tuesday, as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is reportedly in the Chinese capital to attend a commemorative military parade the next day marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Yonhap

This will be the first time the leader of the reclusive regime appears alongside a large group of foreign officials, as China has invited 26 world leaders to the event.

During the parade, Kim will be seated to Xi's left and Putin to Xi's right, according to the Kremlin. It will mark the first time in 66 years for the leaders of North Korea, China and Russia to stand shoulder to shoulder, a striking display of ties that trace back to the Cold War.

China has not released details of the itinerary, but a potential trilateral summit on the sidelines of the event could serve as a high-profile show of solidarity against U.S. influence.

But the NIS views a trilateral summit as unlikely, despite a high chance of separate bilateral Kim-Xi and Kim-Putin summits, Rep. Lee Seong-kweun of the People Power Party said after the spy agency's closed-door briefing at the National Assembly.

The NIS also said that even if Kim and Putin do not have a bilateral talk this time, the Victory Day event will open the door for Kim to visit Russia in the near future.

Some analysts also expect that Beijing may proceed with caution.

"China aims to use this event to project itself as a peacemaker and regional mediator, while avoiding any move that would cement a Cold War-era rivalry with the West. I see little chance that Xi will arrange a trilateral meeting with Kim and Putin along those lines," said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies.

China has been walking a careful line in its relationship with Washington, with a potential bilateral summit between Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump on the horizon.

Both leaders are widely expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in South Korea in late October. The prospect of this gathering suggests Xi may avoid any moves that would overtly cement an anti-U.S. bloc, even as Beijing signals solidarity with North Korea and Russia.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin walk at Zhongnanhai, the personal residence of the Chinese leader, in Beijing, Tuesday. Reuters-Yonhap

The NIS also assessed Kim’s visit to China as "an unusually bold diplomatic step to mark his debut on the multilateral stage and to highlight solidarity with Beijing and Moscow."

For Kim, his first appearance at the multilateral gathering carries significant diplomatic weight for his isolated nation, long shunned by the international community in part due to its missile programs.

A day before departing for Beijing, Kim visited a missile research institute in North Korea, overseeing the development of a new high-powered engine for solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency.

The new engine is slated for the Hwasong-19 series and the next-generation Hwasong-20 ICBM, the state media said.

The visit appears aimed at bolstering the presence of the regime's nuclear arsenal ahead of his rare overseas trip, as Pyongyang seeks formal recognition as a nuclear-armed state.

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport, Tuesday, as he departs for Bejing to attend a military parade in China the next day. Yonhap

Meanwhile, South Korea's delegation to China's military parade, led by National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik — the second-highest official in Seoul’s protocol order — departed Tuesday evening.

Speaking to reporters on his way to Beijing, Woo said he would like to discuss peace on the Korean Peninsula if he meets Kim, but added, "I’m not sure if I will have that opportunity. I’ll have to see how things unfold."

Woo may share the venue with the North Korean leader, although any meaningful interaction is unlikely given that Pyongyang has rebuffed the Lee Jae Myung administration's recent diplomatic overtures.