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Kim Jong Un joins Xi and Putin in Beijing parade
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is traveling to Beijing aboard his armored train to attend a massive military parade on Wednesday, where he is expected to appear alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in what observers describe as a historic moment.
Kim departed Pyongyang on Monday and crossed the border overnight, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap, citing North Korean state media. His 1,300-kilometer journey to Beijing is expected to take nearly a full day, with his arrival kept under strict secrecy.
Photos released by North Korean media showed Kim smoking a cigarette on the platform before boarding his olive-green, gold-trimmed train. Another image depicted him smiling with aides inside a wood-paneled compartment beneath the national flag. He is one of 26 heads of state and government invited to the event organized by President Xi, marking 80 years since the end of World War II.
Intelligence sources in Seoul predict Kim will receive “exceptional treatment” and be positioned alongside Xi and Putin, raising speculation of a possible trilateral meeting. Even his public appearance at the parade among foreign leaders would be unprecedented, highlighting China’s growing diplomatic assertiveness amid heightened tensions with the United States.
Security in Beijing has been heavily tightened, with soldiers deployed on bridges and intersections, and barriers set up across major avenues. The parade is expected to showcase China’s military might and its diplomatic influence.
Experts say the visit underscores North Korea’s integration into a China-led bloc that also includes Russia. Pyongyang has become one of Moscow’s key allies in the Ukraine war, reportedly sending thousands of troops and weapons. Around 2,000 North Korean soldiers are believed to have been killed in the conflict, according to South Korean lawmakers citing intelligence reports.
Meanwhile, Xi and Putin reaffirmed their “comprehensive strategic partnership,” as both countries face mounting tensions with the West. Despite Putin’s recent meeting with Donald Trump in Alaska, no breakthrough has emerged on Ukraine, while U.S.-China relations remain strained over trade and security disputes.