North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, accompanied by his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, to attend China’s “Victory Day” military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War Two surrender. This is the first time a North Korean leader has attended a Chinese parade since 1959, BBC reported.

Kim traveled by his heavily guarded armored train, a tradition started by his grandfather, with South Korean intelligence suggesting his daughter is his “most likely” successor. He was greeted by senior Chinese officials, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in what North Korean media described as a “warm atmosphere.”

The visit highlights Kim’s rare diplomatic engagement abroad, following limited recent contacts with world leaders, mainly Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and underscores Pyongyang’s strategic ties with Beijing amid regional and global tensions, according to BBC.