What did the US press say about Kim Jong-un's visit to China?

The above comment was made by the leading US newspaper in the context of Chinese and North Korean media simultaneously confirming on March 27 the North Korean leader's visit to China for 4 days from March 25-28.

Unexpected but true Korean style

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced that Mr. Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju made an "unofficial" visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to KCNA, Kim Jong-un was accompanied by all of North Korea's top officials, including "number two" Choe Ryong Hae and Ri Su Yong, former North Korean ambassador to Switzerland and current North Korean foreign minister. Meanwhile, Chinese media quoted President Xi Jinping as emphasizing: "We attach great importance to this visit."

Earlier this week, there were rumors that Kim Jong-un was in Beijing. On the morning of March 26, experts monitoring North Korea discovered two unusual points that led to the above information: 1. Security was tightened at the China-North Korea border. 2. Many trains were delayed along the Pyongyang-Beijing route.

In the afternoon of the same day, Japanese television channel NTV reported that they had spotted a strange train slowly entering Beijing Central Station. The train was blue and yellow and looked very similar to the train that carried Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un's father, to China in 2011.

After arriving at Beijing station, train passengers boarded black limousines and were taken by motorcade straight to a Chinese government guesthouse where top foreign officials often stay.

Top North Korea experts say secrecy is a top priority when it comes to the North Korean leader’s foreign trips. “Kim Jong-un is repeating what his father did on this visit,” said Lu Chao of the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences. “All information about the visit will be kept secret until the North Korean leader leaves.”

Meanwhile, commenting on the purpose of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit, expert Cheng Xiaohe at Renmin University, Beijing, said: "In the historic moment before the North-South Korea and US-North Korea summits, China feels its role is shaken and wants to restore its leading position in resolving the North Korean issue."

Professor Zhang Liangui said: "The North Korean nuclear issue cannot be resolved solely through negotiations between the US and North Korea because this is an issue related to regional security, not an issue about the relationship between the US and North Korea."

In addition, Mr. Tong Zhao at the Carnegie Tsinghua Center for Global Policy based in Beijing commented that Mr. Kim Jong-un's visit to China is likely for the North Korean leader to seek China's support ahead of a summit with President Donald Trump in case diplomatic negotiations fail.

“North Korea wants to get some assurances from China ahead of its summit with President Trump. This is a very important but also very risky meeting.

If the negotiations fail, the US will likely declare that diplomatic solutions have failed and quickly turn to threats and even military strikes against North Korea,” said Tong Zhao.

Summit after summit

In a related development, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that the Chinese government on March 27 informed the administration of US President Donald Trump about Kim Jong-un's visit.

According to Ms. Sanders, in the announcement, the Chinese government also sent "a personal message from President Xi Jinping to President Trump".

Ms. Sanders affirmed that the US government considered Mr. Kim Jong-un's visit to China as "further evidence that efforts to apply maximum pressure on North Korea have created an appropriate atmosphere for upcoming negotiations with North Korea."

It is expected that after visiting China, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in in April and US President Donald Trump in May./.