North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is en route to China aboard one of his heavily armored, fortress-style trains, state media reported Monday. 

The 41-year-old dictator is expected to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday to attend a military parade with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kim’s visit marks his first trip to Beijing since 2019 and comes as Pyongyang seeks to bolster ties with both China and Russia. 

The event commemorates the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, highlighting Beijing’s efforts to showcase military power and deepen alliances at a time of heightened global tensions.

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un disembarks from a train as he arrives at the Dong Dang railway station, Vietnam, at the border with China in 2019 (Reuters)

The military parade in Beijing will see thousands of troops march through Tiananmen Square in a 70-minute display featuring China’s latest weaponry.

The visit comes shortly after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s high-profile trip to the United States and meeting Donald Trump last month, where he emphasized trilateral cooperation to counter North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile programs.

Traveling by armored train to high-profile events is a family tradition for North Korea’s ruling dynasty. 

Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, also relied on rail travel, reportedly due to a fear of flying. 

Kim has continued the practice, including on his last trip to Beijing in 2019 and two meetings with Putin since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.