On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, greeted world leaders at Tiananmen Square with handshakes as they arrived for the 80th Anniversary Celebration of China’s Victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
The last dignitaries to receive handshakes from the Chinese first couple were North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
When it was his turn, Kim approached President Xi with a warm smile, clasping his hands with both of his in a gesture of closeness. Xi returned the smile broadly.
Following the greetings, the leaders assembled for a group photo. President Putin stood to Xi’s left, while Kim occupied the position on the right.
After the photo session, Xi, Putin, and Kim ascended the Tiananmen Tower together.
Kim, dressed in a suit, arrived separately—alighting from his private vehicle and walking alone down the red carpet to enter the venue. His daughter, Kim Ju Ae, who had arrived in Beijing by private train the previous day, did not accompany him to the parade.