North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has visited China on January 8, to have talks with the Chinese president, which makes Kim’s this trip as the fourth summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
Kim’s visit to China has been confirmed by Chinese state media and North Korean media. Kim’s visit to China came after he threatened the United States President Donald Trump to use any measures if the US does not ease the sanction and pressure over North Korea. Kim has held three summits in 2018 with Xi, an important ally.
In an e-mailed statement, director of defence studies at the US-based centre for the national interests Harry J Kazianis said: “Kim is eager to remind the Trump administration that he does have diplomatic and economic options besides what Washington and Seoul can offer.”
“In fact, during his New Year’s Days speech, Kim’s ‘new way’ that he referred to may well have been a veiled threat to move closer to Beijing. That should make America quite concerned,” Kazianis said.
North Korea’s state-run KCNA news agency, Kim has left for China on Monday, via private train, accompanied by his wife Ri Sol Ju, including senior North Korean officials, a major negotiator Kim Yong Chol, and Ri Yong Ho.
The reports said, “He was warmly seen off by leading officials of the Party, government and armed forces organs at the railway station.”
Kim’s visit to China, diplomatic and economic ally, followed reports of his advance negotiation between Pyongyang and Washington for a second summit, aimed to resolve a standoff over Korean nuclear programme, denuclearizing the Korean peninsula.
In an interview with CNBC, the US secretary of state Mike Pompeo on Monday, praised China support North Korea to resolve its crisis and said he did not think Beijing’s trade dispute with the US would affect this meeting.
According to reports, Kim’s visit comes as the US agreed to have a second day of talks with the Chinese president in Beijing aimed to end the US-China bitter trade war and economic dispute.
Pompeo said, “The Chinese have been very clear to us that these are separate issues.”
Pompeo said: “Their behaviour has demonstrated that as well and we appreciate that. China has actually been a good partner in our efforts to reduce the risk to the world from North Korea’s nuclear capability; I expect they will continue to do so.”
However, the agenda of Kim’s visit has not yet been cleared but is seeking to get ease over international sanctions.