Beijing: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived here Tuesday for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping to chalk out his next course of action after his historic summit with US President Donald Trump where it was agreed to denuclearise the Korean peninsula.
The visit, Kim’s third since March, is taking place amid sharp escalation rhetoric between Beijing and Washington over tariffs almost spiralling into a trade war. Kim, who visited Beijing twice earlier before his Singapore summit with Trump, arrived by air to meet the top Chinese leadership.
Unlike his two visits which were shrouded in secrecy until their completion, China announced the visit just as the North Korean dictator landed in Beijing.
“Kim Jong-un, chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) visits China from June 19 to 20,” a brief announcement by state-run Xinhua news agency here said.
For his part, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang parried several questions on Kim’s visit and its purpose saying details will be released in a timely manner. Kim is visiting China and there is a reason for this, he said.
As to why news of the visit was released at this point, he said relevant information will be released according to the specific situation.
Geng was not forthcoming when asked whether China will join Russia in calling for lifting of UN sanctions against North Korea in the light of the Singapore summit.
Officials here say his visit was expected to crystallise the next course of action by him to announce the denuclearisation process and further steps on the Korean peninsula.
Trump in the past has said Kim has changed his mind after his talks with Xi.
Sue Mi Terry, a Korea expert at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post that Kim’s recent engagement in diplomacy with frequent visits to China and meetings with Xi, rather than phone calls, made sense.
