North Korea's Kim Jong Un Enters China for Military Parade with Xi, Putin

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled by special armored train to China to attend a major military parade in Beijing commemorating the 80th anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender. The event, attended by about 25 world leaders including China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin, marks a rare multilateral diplomatic appearance for Kim and highlights the strengthening trilateral relationship among North Korea, China, and Russia. Accompanied by senior officials such as Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and Workers' Party International Affairs Director Kim Song Nam, Kim's visit is his first to China since 2019 and follows increasing military alignment with Russia amid heightened tensions with the U.S., South Korea, and Japan. Analysts note that Kim's presence formalizes the China-Russia-North Korea alliance and signals a united front challenging U.S.-led international norms. The trip underscores North Korea's strategic diplomatic ambitions and elevates Kim's standing by positioning him alongside two of the world's most powerful leaders. This visit also comes shortly after summits held among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, highlighting diverging geopolitical blocs in East Asia.