North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected “new” ballistic missile production capabilities on Sunday, according to state media, a few days before he is scheduled to attend a military parade in Beijing on Wednesday and meet the Chinese and Russian leaders.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Monday that Kim visited a “newly-inaugurated combined missile production line of a major munitions enterprise” and approved three new “long-term” plans for missile production and increased spending on weapons development, signaling that he will head into diplomatic talks with no intention of discussing a reduction in arms production.

NK News analysis