{"id":478,"date":"2025-09-02T04:32:38","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T04:32:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/kim-jong-un-train-beijing-parade\/"},"modified":"2025-09-02T04:32:38","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T04:32:38","slug":"kim-jong-un-train-beijing-parade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/kim-jong-un-train-beijing-parade\/","title":{"rendered":"Kim Jong-un heads to Beijing by armoured train for China\u2019s Victory Day parade"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p>North Korean leader Kim Jong-un crossed into China early on <time datetime=\"2025-09-02\">Tuesday<\/time> aboard his signature armoured train and is expected in Beijing later in the morning to attend a military parade on <time datetime=\"2025-09-03\">Wednesday<\/time> marking Japan\u2019s surrender in the second world war. He is due to view the event alongside China\u2019s Xi Jinping and Russia\u2019s Vladimir Putin, according to North Korean state media.<\/p>\n<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Kim departed Pyongyang on Monday and entered China early Tuesday; arrival in Beijing is expected Tuesday morning, per Rodong Sinmun.<\/li>\n<li>South Korea\u2019s Yonhap describes his bullet\u2011resistant train as a moving \u201cfortress\u201d that typically travels about 60 km\/h, making the trip roughly 20 hours.<\/li>\n<li>State images show Kim aboard with senior aides, including Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, and an interior fitted for meetings and rest.<\/li>\n<li>The Beijing parade on Wednesday will host 26 world leaders; Putin is slated to attend, placing Kim, Xi and Putin at the same venue.<\/li>\n<li>This will be Kim\u2019s first appearance at a major multilateral event in his 14 years in power.<\/li>\n<li>No trilateral meeting among Kim, Xi and Putin has been confirmed.<\/li>\n<li>Pyongyang has deepened ties with Moscow; Western and South Korean officials say North Korea has supplied munitions to Russia, while claims of troop deployments remain disputed.<\/li>\n<li>Relations with China have reportedly cooled recently; Beijing still remains North Korea\u2019s largest trading partner and key aid source.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Verified Facts<\/h2>\n<p>North Korea\u2019s official newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported that Kim left Pyongyang on Monday and crossed the border into China in the early hours of Tuesday, en route to Beijing. The visit aligns with China\u2019s Victory Day commemorations marking the end of the Pacific war, with a large military parade scheduled for <time datetime=\"2025-09-03\">Wednesday<\/time>.<\/p>\n<p>Yonhap News Agency characterized Kim\u2019s train as heavily armoured and comparatively slow, averaging around 60 km (37 miles) per hour. At that pace, the trip from Pyongyang to Beijing typically takes close to 20 hours. Armoured trains have been the preferred long\u2011distance transport for North Korea\u2019s leadership for decades, offering secure space for aides, communications, and trip planning.<\/p>\n<p>Although Kim does not share his father\u2019s reported aversion to flying\u2014he flew to Singapore in 2018 for talks with then\u2013U.S. President Donald Trump and to Dalian the same year to meet Xi\u2014he has repeatedly opted for rail on high\u2011profile journeys. For the 2019 Hanoi summit with Trump, he travelled roughly 4,500 km through China by train, a 2\u00bd\u2011day trip.<\/p>\n<p>Rodong Sinmun photos on Tuesday showed Kim with his entourage, including Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, boarding and riding a green carriage trimmed in gold. Additional images depicted a wood\u2011panelled office setting aboard the train.<\/p>\n<p>Chinese authorities are hosting 26 world leaders for the parade. Putin is expected to attend, placing Kim, Xi and Putin at the same venue for the first time during Kim\u2019s rule. However, there has been no official confirmation of a three\u2011way meeting.<\/p>\n<h2>Context &amp; Impact<\/h2>\n<p>Kim\u2019s appearance in Beijing underscores North Korea\u2019s ongoing effort to elevate its diplomatic profile while leveraging relationships with China and Russia amid sustained tensions with the United States, South Korea and Japan. Sharing a platform with Xi and Putin signals tighter strategic alignment among the three leaders, even if no formal trilateral talks occur.<\/p>\n<p>Ties between Pyongyang and Moscow have intensified since Russia\u2019s full\u2011scale invasion of Ukraine. Washington and Seoul have presented evidence that North Korea shipped artillery and other munitions to Russia, drawing new sanctions and international scrutiny. Allegations that North Korean personnel may be assisting Russia remain unverified.<\/p>\n<p>Relations with China, North Korea\u2019s primary economic lifeline, cooled during years of pandemic border controls and periodic frictions. A high\u2011visibility visit for China\u2019s war\u2011end commemoration offers Kim a chance to stabilize ties with Beijing and potentially secure trade and aid assurances.<\/p>\n<p>Regionally, the optics of Kim attending a major military parade alongside Xi and Putin will likely reinforce threat perceptions in Seoul, Tokyo and Washington, where trilateral security cooperation has expanded in response to North Korea\u2019s missile testing and Russia\u2019s deepening defense ties with Pyongyang.<\/p>\n<h3>Official Statements<\/h3>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Yonhap described the train as a moving \u201cfortress,\u201d noting its heavy armor and modest speed.<\/p>\n<p><cite>Yonhap News Agency<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>Explainer: Why Kim often travels by armoured train<\/summary>\n<p>North Korean leaders have long used armoured trains for long\u2011distance trips. The rail convoys provide: (1) layered physical security, (2) ample room for staff and secure communications, (3) onboard meeting and rest facilities, and (4) control over logistics and catering. While slower than flying, the train enables continuous planning sessions and reduces exposure at foreign airports. Kim has shown he can fly when needed, but he frequently chooses rail for major summits and state visits, as in his 2019 journey to Hanoi.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>Explainer: China\u2019s Victory Day parade<\/summary>\n<p>China marks Victory over Japan on <time datetime=\"2025-09-03\">3 September<\/time>, commemorating the end of the second world war in Asia. Major anniversaries often include large military parades in Beijing, attended by foreign dignitaries. The 2025 event is expected to feature extensive ground and air displays and a sizable diplomatic lineup.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<h3>Unconfirmed<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>No formal confirmation of a trilateral meeting among Kim, Xi and Putin as of publication.<\/li>\n<li>Claims that North Korea has sent \u201ctroops\u201d to support Russia in Ukraine remain disputed and are not independently verified; confirmed reporting focuses on munitions transfers.<\/li>\n<li>Exact arrival time of Kim\u2019s train in Beijing has not been independently confirmed beyond North Korean and South Korean media reports.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Bottom Line<\/h3>\n<p>Kim\u2019s rail trip to Beijing places him on a prominent stage with Xi and Putin during China\u2019s Victory Day events. Even without a three\u2011way summit, the optics reinforce tightening ties among Washington\u2019s rivals while offering Pyongyang a chance to refresh its critical relationship with Beijing.<\/p>\n<h3>Sources<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rodong.rep.kp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rodong Sinmun (DPRK)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.yna.co.kr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yonhap News Agency<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reuters \u2014 Asia Pacific<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/world-news\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Associated Press \u2014 World<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.xinhuanet.com\/english\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Xinhua News Agency<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>North Korean leader Kim Jong-un crossed into China early on Tuesday aboard his signature armoured train and is expected in Beijing later in the morning to attend a military parade on Wednesday marking Japan\u2019s surrender in the second world war. He is due to view the event alongside China\u2019s Xi Jinping and Russia\u2019s Vladimir Putin, &#8230; <a title=\"Kim Jong-un heads to Beijing by armoured train for China\u2019s Victory Day parade\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/kim-jong-un-train-beijing-parade\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Kim Jong-un heads to Beijing by armoured train for China\u2019s Victory Day parade\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Kim Jong-un heads to Beijing by armoured train | Global Desk","rank_math_description":"Kim Jong-un crossed into China by armoured train and is due in Beijing to join Xi and Putin for Wednesday\u2019s Victory Day parade. What this rare appearance signals.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Kim Jong-un, Beijing parade, armoured train, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, North Korea-China","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=478"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}