Beijing — Chinese president Xi Jinping convened a rare public gathering on Monday with Russian president Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, a symbolic show of solidarity that underscored Beijing’s bid to reshape the global order and sideline the West.
The three leaders appeared together in Beijing for the first time, signaling a new phase of coordination among powers long at odds with Washington. Xi hailed the partnership as a bulwark against “hegemonism and power politics,” a pointed reference to the United States and its allies.
Putin, seated beside Xi, described the relationship as “unprecedentedly high” and praised China for providing what he called stability in an increasingly unstable world. Kim, who arrived in his signature armored train, emphasized the shared destiny of nations resisting Western dominance.
Analysts say the symbolism of the gathering was unmistakable. The inclusion of North Korea alongside Russia and China places three nuclear-armed states under one visible axis of defiance, raising alarm among Western security officials already wary of military coordination in Asia.
The summit comes as Beijing strengthens its economic lifelines with Moscow. On the sidelines, Gazprom and the China National Petroleum Corporation signed a sweeping pipeline agreement that could secure Russian gas supplies to China for 30 years. Energy officials called it a cornerstone deal that cements the interdependence of the two nations.
Military dimensions are also taking shape. Russian and North Korean officials have hinted at trilateral drills involving all three powers, a scenario that regional strategists say could redraw security calculations in Northeast Asia. The potential participation of Iran, expected at a massive military parade in Beijing this week, would further deepen Western anxieties.
For Xi, the timing of the summit highlighted a deliberate effort to project unity outside the orbit of Washington, particularly as US President Donald Trump faces mounting challenges in foreign policy. By presenting a united front, Xi, Putin, and Kim sought to demonstrate that the balance of power is shifting toward an alternative order centered in Eurasia.
According to Reuters, the event, described by Western officials as an “Axis of Upheaval,” marks one of the most visible challenges yet to the US-led system, combining military cooperation, energy partnerships, and political symbolism into a single stage-managed display in Beijing.
