Overview

• North Korean state media showed Kim departing by train and Yonhap reported he crossed into China overnight to attend Wednesday’s parade marking 80 years since Japan’s defeat.
• Beijing has tightened security for the event, with soldiers deployed across the city and long stretches of metal barriers installed along major avenues.
• Seating and protocol details remain undisclosed, and any possible Xi–Kim–Putin meeting is speculative and unconfirmed.
• Analysts say Kim’s presence projects a public alignment among China, Russia, and North Korea in opposition to U.S. influence.
• Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin held talks in Beijing, praising their ties as at an unprecedented level and describing a comprehensive strategic collaboration.