North Korea announced that its leader, Kim Jong-un, made an unofficial visit to China this week.
North Korea announced Wednesday that its leader, Kim Jong-un, made an “unofficial” visit to China this week, following earlier claims he had travelled abroad for the first time since taking power in 2011.
Media speculation intensified after a special North Korean train arrived Sunday in China amid heavy security.
The North’s state-run radio station confirmed Kim was invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who reportedly accepted a request to visit the North at his convenience.
Kim was joined by his wife and senior officials, just weeks before planned summits with his counterparts in South Korea and the United States, Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump.
Moon and Trump are aiming to bring about North Korea‘s denuclearization following years of tensions in the region.
In that regard, Kim’s message was positive and in line with talks he held with visiting South Korean officials earlier this month.
“It is our consistent stance to be committed to denuclearization on the peninsula,” he was quoted as saying by China’s Xinhua NewsAgency.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the “reported commitment by the DPRK to denuclearization”.
Guterres “views the latest positive developments as the start of a longer process of sincere dialogue, leading to sustainable peace and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula,” his spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement.
But Kim also insisted South Korea and the U.S. must “respond to our efforts with goodwill, create an atmosphere of peace and stability while taking progressive and synchronous measures for the realization of peace”.
Trump, however, insisted “maximum sanctions and pressure” must remain in place but struck a note of optimism for the pending meeting.
“For years and through many administrations, everyone said that peace and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was not even a small possibility. Now there is a good chance that Kim Jong Un will do what is right for his people and for humanity. Look forward to our meeting!” Trump said on Twitter.
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