North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare and highly symbolic journey this week, crossing into China by train on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, to attend Beijing’s largest-ever military parade. The parade, held the following day, marks the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II—a momentous occasion that drew together some of the world’s most controversial leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. For Kim, it was not just a diplomatic outing but a historic first: the first time he has attended a major multilateral event during his 14-year rule, and the first time he has stood shoulder to shoulder with both Xi and Putin at such a global spectacle.
Kim’s arrival in Beijing was anything but understated. According to BBC, he was accompanied by his young daughter, Kim Ju Ae, who South Korean intelligence officials now openly describe as his likely heir. Since her public debut in November 2022, she has become a regular fixture at her father’s side during missile tests and major state events, her presence signaling the regime’s succession plans even as details about her life remain closely guarded. Kim’s entourage also included senior officials such as Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, as reported by North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim’s armored train, a family tradition stretching back to his grandfather Kim Il Sung, crept slowly across the border, its heavy security and rumored onboard luxuries—French wines and fresh lobster among them—underscoring both the leader’s caution and his penchant for spectacle. Photos captured Kim and his daughter stepping onto the Beijing platform, greeted by senior Chinese officials and a flurry of cameras. The visit marks Kim’s first trip to China since 2019 and his fifth since coming to power in late 2011, according to AP.
The parade itself was a display of military might and political unity. Xi, Kim, and Putin stood together on the rostrum at Tiananmen Square, presenting a united front at a time of deepening rifts with the United States and its allies. The 70-minute event featured China’s latest weaponry—hundreds of aircraft, tanks, and anti-drone systems—showcasing the People’s Liberation Army’s new force structure for the first time. As BBC noted, the event was attended by 26 heads of state, including leaders from Iran, Cuba, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. The only European Union leader present was Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, with Bulgaria and Hungary sending representatives.
For Kim, the parade was more than a commemoration; it was a diplomatic stage to signal North Korea’s emergence from isolation and its efforts to forge new partnerships. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service anticipated that Kim would receive protocol and security measures on par with Putin and would likely hold bilateral meetings with both Xi and Putin. According to lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun, who attended a closed-door briefing, Kim was expected to attend a reception and cultural performance, mingling with other world leaders in a bid to expand North Korea’s diplomatic footing.
The timing of Kim’s trip is hardly coincidental. North Korea’s foreign policy has increasingly prioritized Russia in recent years, with the regime supplying significant amounts of ammunition—and, by South Korean estimates, approximately 15,000 troops—to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Of those, around 2,000 are believed to have died in combat, and North Korea has sent military construction workers and deminers to Russia’s Kursk region, Lee reported. In return, Pyongyang has sought economic and military assistance from Moscow, deepening a partnership that has alarmed both Kyiv and Western governments. The United States and its NATO allies have repeatedly accused North Korea of helping Russia circumvent international sanctions and prolong the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The parade and its surrounding meetings took place amid these mounting concerns. According to ABC News, Putin used the occasion to reiterate his narrative that the Ukraine war began with a Western-sponsored coup and attempts to pull Ukraine into NATO—a claim widely dismissed by Western and Ukrainian officials as a distortion of the events surrounding the 2014 Maidan Revolution and Russia’s subsequent invasions. Putin and Xi, who had met earlier at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, signed more than 20 bilateral cooperation documents on Tuesday morning, including agreements on energy, atomic energy, space, and scientific research. Among the highlights: a strategic cooperation agreement between Russian energy giant Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation, and a memorandum between Rosatom and the China Atomic Energy Authority on peaceful uses of atomic energy.
The deepening ties between Beijing and Moscow were on full display. As Xinhua reported, Putin described relations with Xi as having “reached the highest level in history,” while Xi declared that their partnership had “withstood the test of international changes.” The two leaders’ show of unity comes as China faces accusations from the West of aiding Russia’s war effort by supplying dual-use materials and purchasing Russian oil—charges Beijing denies. Still, the optics of Xi and Putin standing together, with Kim at their side, sent an unmistakable message of resistance to Western pressure and sanctions.
Kim’s presence in Beijing is also widely seen as an effort to repair ties with China, North Korea’s largest trading partner and aid benefactor. Relations between the two communist neighbors had reportedly cooled in recent years, but with the Ukraine war’s outcome uncertain, Kim appears eager to hedge his bets and ensure continued support from both Beijing and Moscow. As AP noted, Kim’s attendance is an “upgrade” from the last Victory Day parade in 2015, when North Korea sent only a top official, Choe Ryong-hae. The last time a North Korean leader attended a Chinese military parade was in 1959, when Kim’s grandfather was present.
The parade also served as a platform for Kim to project North Korea’s growing ambitions. On the eve of his departure, KCNA reported that Kim visited a missile research institute to review progress on a new engine for a “next-generation” intercontinental ballistic missile. Analysts believe this likely refers to a long-range weapon equipped with multiple nuclear warheads capable of evading U.S. missile defenses—a clear signal of Pyongyang’s intent to continue expanding its nuclear and missile arsenals despite international calls for denuclearization.
The gathering in Beijing unfolded as the United States, led by President Donald Trump, and South Korea’s new liberal president Lee Jae Myung, expressed hopes of restarting talks with North Korea. But Pyongyang has so far shunned engagement, focusing instead on strengthening its military capabilities and forging new alliances. South Korea’s acting ambassador to the United Nations, Sangjin Kim, said the government is “watching and monitoring very closely what is happening on this trip,” emphasizing the need for diplomacy to promote stability and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.
As the world watched the spectacle in Beijing, the message was clear: the ties between North Korea, China, and Russia are growing stronger, with each leader seeking to leverage the moment to advance their own strategic interests. For Kim Jong Un, the parade was more than a show of military hardware—it was a calculated move on the world stage, signaling North Korea’s intent to remain a pivotal player in the shifting global order.
