North Korea’s Kim arrives in Beijing with daughter and attainable inheritor

[ad_1] Yvette Tan BBC Information and

Emily Atkinson BBC Information

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/9e82/live/5daa92d0-8801-11f0-9cf6-cbf3e73ce2b9.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/9e82/live/5daa92d0-8801-11f0-9cf6-cbf3e73ce2b9.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/9e82/live/5daa92d0-8801-11f0-9cf6-cbf3e73ce2b9.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/9e82/live/5daa92d0-8801-11f0-9cf6-cbf3e73ce2b9.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/9e82/live/5daa92d0-8801-11f0-9cf6-cbf3e73ce2b9.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/9e82/live/5daa92d0-8801-11f0-9cf6-cbf3e73ce2b9.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/9e82/live/5daa92d0-8801-11f0-9cf6-cbf3e73ce2b9.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/9e82/live/5daa92d0-8801-11f0-9cf6-cbf3e73ce2b9.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Xinhua Kim shakes hands with Chinese politician Cai Qi on the train platform, surrounded by officials and uniformed guards. His daughter stands behind him, wearing a black dress suit." class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Xinhua North Korean chief Kim Jong Un has arrived within the Chinese language capital Beijing alongside together with his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, photographs seem to indicate.

Kim is in China to attend a "Victory Day" parade on Wednesday, which can see him rub shoulders with China's President Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin and different world leaders - making it his first multilateral assembly.

Kim crossed into China on Tuesday onboard his armoured prepare, which is claimed to incorporate a restaurant serving high quality French wines and dishes like recent lobster.

Images confirmed him stepping off his prepare at Beijing Railway Station accompanied by his daughter. South Korea's spy company has beforehand mentioned she was Kim's "almost certainly" successor.

Miss Kim has appeared in public steadily alongside her father since she made her debut in November 2022. Nonetheless, particulars about her are very restricted.

There are conflicting studies relating to her age. In 2023, the South's Nationwide Intelligence Service (NIS) mentioned it believed she was round 10 years outdated.

North Korea's state-run Korean Central Information Company (KCNA) mentioned Kim was greeted on the station by a number of high-ranking members of the Communist Get together of China (CPC), together with Overseas Minister Wang Yi.

The report mentioned they met in a "heat ambiance" and that Kim had thanked President Xi for the "enthusiastic and cordial hospitality". It does acknowledge the presence of his daughter.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/fe58/live/24722d60-8802-11f0-9cf6-cbf3e73ce2b9.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/fe58/live/24722d60-8802-11f0-9cf6-cbf3e73ce2b9.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/fe58/live/24722d60-8802-11f0-9cf6-cbf3e73ce2b9.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/fe58/live/24722d60-8802-11f0-9cf6-cbf3e73ce2b9.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/fe58/live/24722d60-8802-11f0-9cf6-cbf3e73ce2b9.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/fe58/live/24722d60-8802-11f0-9cf6-cbf3e73ce2b9.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/fe58/live/24722d60-8802-11f0-9cf6-cbf3e73ce2b9.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/fe58/live/24722d60-8802-11f0-9cf6-cbf3e73ce2b9.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Xinhua Kim shakes hands an official on the train platform, surrounded by other officials and uniformed guards. His daughter stands behind him, wearing a black dress suit." class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Xinhua <img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/18d4/live/770cfc60-87dc-11f0-9457-214de3f1fa91.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/18d4/live/770cfc60-87dc-11f0-9457-214de3f1fa91.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/18d4/live/770cfc60-87dc-11f0-9457-214de3f1fa91.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/18d4/live/770cfc60-87dc-11f0-9457-214de3f1fa91.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/18d4/live/770cfc60-87dc-11f0-9457-214de3f1fa91.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/18d4/live/770cfc60-87dc-11f0-9457-214de3f1fa91.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/18d4/live/770cfc60-87dc-11f0-9457-214de3f1fa91.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/18d4/live/770cfc60-87dc-11f0-9457-214de3f1fa91.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Reuters Kim Jong Un's green train is seen going down a railway track with a visible North Korean flag pinned by one of its entrances, while a person in a dark suit hangs out of a doorway and looks up at the flag. In the foreground and background are residential buildings and other trains" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Reuters Kim's prepare was photographed trundling by a Beijing suburb on Tuesday afternoon, with a visual North Korean flag

Kim left Pyongyang on Monday, however the prepare's heavy safety means it travels slowly.

Kim's attendance marks the primary time a North Korean chief has attended a Chinese language navy parade since 1959. He can be amongst 26 different heads of state - together with leaders from Myanmar, Iran and Cuba - who can be there.

His attendance is an improve from China's final Victory Day parade in 2015, when Pyongyang despatched considered one of its high officers, Choe Ryong-hae.

The reclusive chief hardly ever travels overseas, together with his current contact with world leaders restricted to Putin, who he is met twice since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

He final visited Beijing in 2019 for an occasion marking the seventieth anniversary of diplomatic ties between the international locations. That journey additionally noticed him journey by prepare.

The custom of travelling by way of prepare was began by Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung - who took his personal prepare journeys to Vietnam and Japanese Europe.

Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, travelled by prepare in addition to he was reportedly afraid of flying.

In keeping with one South Korean information outlet, the armoured prepare has round 90 carriages, together with convention rooms, viewers chambers and bedrooms.

Putin, Kim and Xi meet in China: BBC correspondents clarify why

Tens of 1000's of navy personnel will march in formation by Beijing's historic Tiananmen Sq. on the day of the parade, which can mark the eightieth anniversary of Japan's formal give up in World Battle Two and the tip of the battle.

The 70-minute parade is prone to function China's newest weaponry, together with lots of of plane, tanks and anti-drone methods - the primary time its navy's new drive construction is being totally showcased in a parade.

Most Western leaders will not be anticipated to attend the parade, resulting from their opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has pushed the sanctions in opposition to Putin's regime.

However it'll see leaders from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam in attendance - additional proof of Beijing's concerted efforts to ramp up ties with neighbouring South East Asia.