Kim Jong-Un to arrive in Beijing for military parade on special armoured train

Kim left the North Korean capital Pyongyang for Beijing on Monday and crossed the Chinese border first thing on Tuesday morning, North Korean state media Rodong Sinmun has reported.

He is travelling on board an armoured train, described as a "fortress", and his full journey is expected to take 24 hours. The train is slow-moving due to its heavy protection.

The 'Victory Day' parade will see Kim meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and 26 other world leaders for his first multilateral international meeting.

The parade on Wednesday will last 70 minutes and is expected to feature China's latest weaponry, such as aircraft, tanks, and anti-drone systems.

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Thousands of military personnel will march in formation through Tiananmen Square - the site of the 1989 uprising and massacre, which saw hundreds of people killed.

Kim's attendance at the parade will also be the first time a North Korean leader has attended a Chinese military parade since 1959.

His armoured train reportedly has 90 carriages that include bedrooms, meeting rooms, and a restaurant that serves fine French wines and dishes like fresh lobster.

World leaders are currently in China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which brings together the 10 members of the bloc of Eurasian countries, as well as the heads of state from 16 observer countries.

Xi told the welcome reception for the summit that there had been a "significant increase in instability, uncertainty and unpredictable factors" in the last decade and that the SCO had become an "important force in promoting the building of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind".