North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, traveled to Beijing this week to hobnob with the presidents of China and Russia, two of his nation’s key allies. But he seems to have had another purpose for the trip: introducing his daughter as his potential successor.

朝鲜领导人金正恩本周赴北京，与朝鲜的两大关键盟友——中国和俄罗斯的国家主席会晤。但此行似乎还有一个目的：向外界介绍可能成为他的接班人的女儿。

The daughter, Kim Ju-ae, accompanied Mr. Kim to Beijing, where he joined ​leaders from more than 20 countries at a military parade​ on Wednesday. ​After the special train carrying Mr. ​Kim’s entourage pulled into Beijing Railway Station on Tuesday,​ Ju-ae stood close to Mr. Kim​ as he was greeted by senior Chinese officials​, according to photos released by North Korean state media.

金正恩的女儿金主爱陪同父亲来到北京，周三，他在北京出席了有20多个国家的领导人参加的阅兵仪式。据朝鲜官方媒体发布的照片显示，载有金正恩一行人的专列周二驶入北京火车站，在金正恩接受中国高层官员迎接时，金主爱就站在他的身旁。

It is the first overseas trip that Ju-ae is known to have taken with Mr. Kim.

这是已知的金主爱首次与金正恩一同出国访问。

Ju-ae, ​who is believed to be 12 years old, is the only child of Mr. Kim to have appeared in the North’s state media, which refers to her as “dear daughter.” Since late 2022, she has accompanied ​her father to military parades, weapons tests and other politically significant domestic events. ​

据信年仅12岁的金主爱是金正恩在朝鲜官方媒体上出现过的唯一子女，媒体用“亲爱的女儿”来称呼她。自2022年底以来，她多次陪同父亲参加阅兵式、武器试验和其他具有政治意义的国内活动。

South Korean analysts have said that Mr. Kim appears to be grooming her as an heir, though they have also been careful not to jump to conclusions. ​The fact that he brought ​Ju-ae on his ​first trip to China in six years, and to a major gathering of international leaders, is a significant new sign of her rising status, some said.

韩国分析人士指出，金正恩似乎正将金主爱培养为接班人，但他们也谨慎避免过快地做出结论。金正恩在时隔六年首次访华，并出席这样一次重要的国际领导人聚会时携金主爱同行，这一事实是她地位上升的一个重要新迹象。

Yang Moo-jin, a former president of the Seoul-based University of North Korean Studies, said the girl was going through the ritual of “introducing herself” to the leadership of China, North Korea’s most important ally.

位于首尔的朝鲜研究大学前校长杨武仁（音）表示，这是这个女孩在向朝鲜最重要的盟友中国的领导层进行“自我介绍”的仪式。

The scene at the Beijing railway station “showed that she was being treated as No. 2 of North Korea not only at home but also abroad,” said Cheong Seong-chang, a North Korea expert at the Seoul-based Sejong Institute. “By taking her to China, Kim Jong-un is sending a strong signal​ to the world that she ​is going to be his successor.”

北京火车站的一幕“表明她不仅在国内，而且在国外也被视为朝鲜的二号人物”，首尔世宗研究所的朝鲜问题专家郑相昌表示。“金正恩带她访华，向世界传递出强烈信号：她将成为他的接班人”

Although Mr. Kim was designated as the successor of his father, Kim Jong-il, at an early age, that status was kept secret until ​his father suffered a stroke in 2008.

金正恩幼年就被指定为其父金正日的接班人，但这一身份在2008年后者中风前始终保密。