Sep 2, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Kim Jong-un arrives in Beijing for China's largest-ever military parade

Rebecca Falconer

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, wearing a black suit, white shirt and red tie, stepping off a green train carriage that's surrounded by North Korean military guards. — North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un arrives in Beijing, China, on Tuesday. Photo: Pang Xinglei/Xinhua via Getty Images

North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, arrived in Beijing via his armored train on Tuesday to attend China's largest-ever military parade with his Chinese and Russian counterparts.

Why it matters: Chinese leader Xi Jinping is putting on a show of force with Wednesday's event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and also with his recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tianjin, China — during which he took thinly veiled swipes at President Trump's tariffs.

State of play: Kim arrived with his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, whom South Korea's spy agency believes is his "most likely" successor, following his rare departure from his isolated nation, images from the scene show.

He "gladly shared greetings with leading cadres of the Chinese party and government," North Korean state media reported.

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Kim Jong-un arrives in Beijing for China's largest-ever military parade

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