Global Geopolitical Series: North Korea’s Kim adds pressure on U.S. with fourth China visit in a year

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un paid a visit to China on Tuesday to meet his most important ally Xi Jinping before a possible second summit with the U.S. President Donald Trump, for which the venue is still being discussed. This visit is unlike last year’s pre-Trump-Kim meeting, which was kept secret until the last moment; the announcements of the visit came much earlier, which analysts believe to be aimed at showing the United States that there exists an alternative path than proposed by Seoul and Washington.

Kim’s special train carried him and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, at a highly secure station in Beijing at around 10:55 am local time. Escorted by Chinese police, he and his entourage headed in prearranged limousines to Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Kim was accompanied by party, government and military officials, including Kim Yong-chol, a key nuclear negotiator with the United States, and Ri Yong-ho and No Kwang-chol, the country's foreign and defense ministers. Kim is widely expected to hold a summit with Xi during his stay, though his detailed itinerary has not been made known.

Last year, Kim traveled to China and met with Xi three times before and after he held his first-ever summit with Trump in June in Singapore. This is his fourth visit to meet the Chinese leader.

In 2019’s ‘New Year’ address, Chairman Kim announced that the country remains open to denuclearization but the U.S. would need to provide incentives to do it and take up steps that improve mutual trust. Since last year, North Korea has repeatedly called on the United States to take up steps in reducing sanctions against the hermit nation and to formally end the half a century-long inter-Korean war by signing a peace agreement. Washington has maintained that no concessions could be given unless North Korea takes up concrete steps toward denuclearization.   

The meeting today is expected to be strategically important as he prepares to meet his U.S. counterpart.