North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was in China Tuesday on an unannounced visit for talks with President Xi Jinping, as preparations ramp up for an expected second summit with Donald Trump.
China is the isolated, nuclear-armed North’s key diplomatic ally and main source of trade and aid, and the visit is likely to heighten speculation about the potential meeting with the US president, as Kim could coordinate his strategy with Xi.
The North Korean leader, accompanied by his wife Ri Sol Ju and several senior officials, set off from Pyongyang station on board his private train on Monday, the Korean Central News Agency reported.
The trip is at Xi’s invitation and set to run over four days until Thursday, according to KCNA and China’s official Xinhua news agency.
The visit comes a week after Kim warned in a New Year’s speech that Pyongyang may change its approach to nuclear talks if Washington persists with sanctions. Read more