Beijing, After days of speculation, it has been
confirmed that North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un did pay a visit to
Beijing.
The visit, confirmed by China and North Korea, was Kim’s first
known foreign trip since taking office in 2011.
He held “successful talks” with President Xi Jinping, China’s
Xinhua news agency reported.
China is North Korea’s main economic ally and it was thought highly
likely it would consult Beijing before planned summits with South
Korea and the US.
Kim is due to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in in late
April, and US President Donald Trump in May.
The Beijing visit is considered a significant step in North Korea’s
preparation for the proposed talks.
Kim arrived with his wife, Ri Sol-ju, by train on Sunday and left
Beijing on Tuesday afternoon, according to reports.
During the visit, Kim assured his Chinese counterpart he was
committed to giving up his nuclear weapons, Xinhua reported, but with
conditions.
“The issue of denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula can be
resolved, if South Korea and the United States respond to our efforts
with goodwill, create an atmosphere of peace and stability while taking
progressive and synchronous measures for the realisation of peace,”
Kim was reported saying.
North Korea’s KCNA news agency called the visit “a milestone” in
improving bilateral ties. Kim’s arrival and departure were shrouded in
secrecy. China said the visit was “unofficial,” so there was no
announcement of it in advance, prompting speculation about who was
on the train when it was spotted arriving, the BBC reported.
Source: Oman News Agency