Kim ‘commits to denuclearisation’ of Korean peninsula in China visit
North Korean leader allays Chinese fears of being frozen out of nuclear talks ahead of Trump summit
KIM JONG-UN, the North Korean leader, has made a second surprise visit to China amid Beijing’s fears it may be sidelined ahead of his talks with Donald Trump.
The two-day visit to the north-eastern city of Dalian saw Kim meet Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, and other government officials. Kim was quoted in Chinese media as telling Mr Xi that North Korea remains committed to denuclearisation and has no need to possess nuclear weapons if a “relevant party” drops its “hostile policy and security threats” against it, a clear reference to the US presence in the region.
The calls were reiterated by Mr Xi in a phone call with the US president shortly after the visit, with Mr Xi urging Mr Trump to take Pyongyang’s “reasonable security concerns” into consideration.
Images of Kim and Mr Xi on the evening news in China showed them strolling along a beach in the port city. The meeting comes amid reports that China, traditionally North Korea’s closest ally, fears being frozen out of talks about the regime’s nuclear programme.
Mr Trump is expected to meet Kim for face-to-face talks in the coming weeks after the pair put aside last year’s heated rhetoric in favour of diplomacy. Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, headed to North Korea yesterday to finalise details of the summit, and press North Korea for the release of three detained American citizens.
It is the second time Kim has visited China this year, with his last trip in March. Japanese media had earlier shown images of an aircraft normally used by North Korean VIPS flying out of Dalian, fuelling speculation that Kim had been in town. Kim’s use of a plane shows that he does not have his father’s fear of flying and suggests he could be willing to meet Mr Trump in a third country, with reports saying Singapore is a possible destination.
China’s Xinhua news agency carried quotes on the latest visit from both leaders, who struck a positive note.
The Xinhua report also said that Mr Xi had held a “welcome banquet” for Kim during the visit, which took place on Monday and yesterday.
“I hope to build mutual trust with the US through dialogue,” Kim was quoted as saying by CCTV, the state broadcaster. He called for denuclearisation in stages, among all parties.
The Trump administration is demanding an immediate commitment to denuclearisation from North Korea.
China and North Korea are historic allies but relations have been strained in recent years as Beijing backed UN sanctions against its neighbour amid concern over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons build-up.
Mr Trump talked to Mr Xi yesterday to get an update on his conversations with Kim. Mr Xi told Trump that he supports the planned meeting between the US and North Korean leaders,
The Chinese president “hopes the US and North Korea can work together, build mutual trust”, according to CCTV.