By Anjhali Sharma
WASHINGTON – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday arrived in Beijing for the SCO Summit, accompanied by his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, according to media reports.
He is in China to attend a “Victory Day” military parade on Wednesday, where he will join Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other world leaders, official sources stated.
This will be Kim’s first multilateral event.
Media showed Kim stepping off the train at Beijing Railway Station with his daughter, whom South Korea’s spy agency believes is his likely successor.
He was welcomed by senior Chinese officials, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi. North Korean state media said the meeting took place in a “warm atmosphere” and Kim thanked Xi for his hospitality.
This is the first time a North Korean leader has attended a Chinese military parade since 1959.
Some 26 other leaders, including those from Myanmar, Iran, and Cuba, are also expected to take part
Kim arrived in Beijing on his famous armored train, which reportedly has 90 carriages, including dining rooms, meeting halls, bedrooms, and even a restaurant serving French wine and lobster. The train often called a “moving fortress,” travels at just 60 kmph and took about 20 hours to reach Beijing.
The pictures from inside Kim’s office on the train revealed a gold-trimmed laptop, multiple telephones, his trademark cigarette box, and bottles of water or other liquids placed on his desk, media reported.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will take charge of Beijing’s central boulevard, the Avenue of Eternal Peace, leading a grand military parade on Wednesday that will showcase the nation’s latest hypersonic weapons, nuclear-capable missiles, and undersea drones, accompanied by thousands of soldiers marching in unison, as per media reports.
