Go to Contents Go to Navigation

(9th LD) N. Korean leader Kim holds summit with Xi

All News 22:58 June 19, 2018

(ATTN: UPDATES with report of China's state-run CCTV)

SEOUL/BEIJING, June 19 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday held out the prospect of a new important phase in denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula if Pyongyang and Washington carry out their nuclear deal, a news report said.

During his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Kim also expressed gratitude to Xi for China's role in pushing for denuclearization on the divided peninsula, according to Chinese state-run broadcaster CCTV.

Kim arrived in Beijing by air earlier in the day on what China said was a two-day trip to strengthen "strategic communication" between the two neighbors.

The summit -- the third in three months -- came a week after Kim met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore and affirmed his commitment to complete denuclearization in return for security guarantees and a new relationship with the United States.

"We will push to establish a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula with China and relevant countries," Kim said, according to CCTV.

China fought on North Korea's side against South Korea and the U.S.-led U.N. forces in the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty.

Kim said he will further develop ties with China, North Korea's last major ally and economic benefactor.

Xi also vowed to continue to play a constructive role and said China's unwavering stance to boost ties with North Korea will remain unchanged, no matter how international and regional situations change.

Xi's comments at the summit underscored China's determination to consolidate its relations with North Korea amid rapprochement between North Korea and the U.S. after the first summit of their leaders.

China is North Korea's most important trading partner and a key source of food and fuel, though there were tensions in recent years as China has voted in favor of U.N. sanctions on Pyongyang over its nuclear programs.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Kim's two-day visit that began Tuesday is intended to strengthen "strategic communication" between the two countries.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, said Kim and Xi meeting before and after the historic summits in Panmunjom and Singapore demonstrate that North Korea's relations with China remain a step ahead of those with South Korea and the United States, referring to Kim's summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the border village of Panmunjom in April.

"Having agreed to suspend the Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise, Seoul and Washington will quickly call on Pyongyang to take steps for denuclearization, conventional arms reduction and a peace regime," he said. "In response, North Korea will look to maximize economic benefits and minimize disarmament; China will look to maximize U.S.-ROK demobilization and minimize destabilizing policy swings in the region. Kim and Xi are likely coordinating their strategies".

CCTV also aired footage of Kim's summit with Xi in a very rare public announcement of Kim's trip.

Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan greeted Kim and his wife Ri Sol-ju at the Great Hall of the People, and Kim inspected a Chinese honor guard.

The move marked a clear departure from China's previous stance of keeping silent on Kim's visit until he returned home.

Kim's trip had long been shrouded in secrecy apparently for security reasons. North Korea's state media did not report on Kim's latest trip to China.

Kim traveled to China in March and met with Xi in his first foreign trip since he took over the country in late 2011. The two also met in May ahead of Kim's summit with Trump.

Analysts agree that Kim's visit to China is apparently intended to brief Xi on the outcome of his summit with Trump but added that he could enlist support from China ahead of talks on how fast it will have to give up its nuclear weapons program.

For China, it could be intended to strengthen its voice in the fast-paced nuclear diplomacy mostly being led by the U.S. and South Korea, they said.

"It appears that Kim intends to express his gratitude to China for providing support during his summit with Trump, such as offering a plane, while explaining the major agenda items discussed during the summit and pushing to take the initiative through consultations on the future situation," Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said.

Yoo Hyun-jung, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy, said that Kim's third visit to Beijing must be meant to enlist support from China, especially in relaxing sanctions imposed on Pyongyang now that tensions are easing.

The U.S. has said that there will be no sanctions relief until Pyongyang's denuclearization. The North has claimed that Trump expressed his intention during the summit to lift sanctions "along with advances in improving the mutual relationship through dialogue and negotiation."

Footage from China's state-run CCTV shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (2nd from L) and his wife Ri Sol-ju posing for a photo with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the Great Hall of the People on June 19, 2018. (Yonhap)

Footage from China's state-run CCTV shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (2nd from L) and his wife Ri Sol-ju posing for a photo with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the Great Hall of the People on June 19, 2018. (Yonhap)


(END)

Issue Keywords
Most Liked
Most Saved
Most Viewed More
HOME TOP
Send Feedback
How can we improve?
Thanks for your feedback!