North Korean leader Kim Jong Un crossed into China by train on Tuesday, heading to Beijing for a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

He also has meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin .

Why It Matters

Neighboring China has been North Korea's steadfast ally and most important trade partner for decades, although since coming to power in 2012, Kim has sought to rebalance North Korea's great power ties by investing in more robust relations with Russia.

He oversaw a new chapter in this endeavor last year when he ordered the deployment of up to 15,000 troops, according to South Korean estimates, along with artillery rounds and missiles, to support Russian forces in its invasion of Ukraine.

Kim, like his fa

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