North Korea's Kim departs for China aboard train: Report

Seoul, Sep 1 (IANS) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un departed Pyongyang on Monday afternoon aboard a train, a source familiar with the matter said, with Kim expected to make his debut on the multilateral diplomatic stage at a military parade in Beijing.

It will be the first time for Kim, who assumed power in late 2011, to attend a multilateral diplomatic event. His grandfather and the North's founder Kim Il-sung attended a military parade in Beijing in 1959.

Kim's presence at the military parade, set for Wednesday in Beijing, would set the stage for a possible, and unprecedented, three-way meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Kim's trip is expected to take 20 to 24 hours to reach Beijing. He is forecast to arrive Tuesday afternoon.

China is scheduled to hold a 70-minute military parade on Wednesday, showcasing its latest weaponry and troops marching in formation to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, which it commemorates as victory over Japan.

Kim is expected to cross the North Korea-China border Monday night and stay at Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, where he lodged during three of his previous four visits to China.

On Sunday, a day ahead of his highly anticipated departure, Kim visited a newly completed missile production line at a major munitions factory to inspect the country's missile production capacity and its prospects, state media reported.

Kim and Putin will be among state leaders from 26 foreign countries attending the military parade at Tiananmen Square on Wednesday, marking the reclusive North Korean leader's first appearance on the multilateral diplomatic stage.

In the forthcoming parade, Kim will be seated on Xi's left, while Putin will be seated to the right of Xi, a Russian report has said, citing a Kremlin official.

Kim, Xi and Putin could also hold a trilateral summit on the sidelines, which, if held, would mark the first meeting of the leaders of the three countries with close ties dating back to the Cold War, since the end of the war.

--IANS

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