Kim Jong-un meets with China's Xi Jinping in Beijing
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with the Chinese President on a surprise trip to Beijing this week, his first visit abroad since he took power in 2011.
Kim traveled to the Chinese capital because he felt compelled to personally inform President Xi Jinping of the rapid diplomatic developments on the Korean Peninsula in recent weeks, the CNN reports, citing China's state-run Xinhua news agency.
The visit is a stunning shift for Kim, who appears to be fashioning himself as a leader in search of a peaceful solution to the crisis on the Korean Peninsula. It's in sharp contrast to 2017, when Kim oversaw a string of missile and nuclear tests that drew the ire of the international community.
Kim's trip, which was shrouded in secrecy, was the first of three potential meetings with some of the world's most powerful leaders.
Kim is set to attend a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next month, and, in a bombshell move, US President Donald Trump has also accepted an invitation to meet Kim. It would be the first face-to-face encounter between a sitting US president and a North Korean head of state.
Analysts said the visit was a courtesy call aimed at shoring up Pyongyang's ties with China, a traditional ally and major trading partner. Leaders from the two countries haven't met since 2011,with ties souring after Kim purged some of Beijing's allies in North Korea and the isolated nation relentlessly pursued its development of nuclear weapons.
Kim called for a "new era" in bilateral relations in a letter to Xi published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), which also reported that Xi had accepted an invitation to visit North Korea "at a convenient time." The invitation was not reported by Chinese state media.
"In this spring full of happiness and hopes, I believe my first meeting with General Secretary Xi Jinping will yield abundant fruits of DPRK-China friendship, and facilitate peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," said Kim, referring to Xi by his title as leader of the Chinese Communist Party.
Kim made his trip "at the invitation" of Xi, state media from both countries reported. While billed as an unofficial visit, Kim got red-carpet treatment in Beijing, including a banquet at the Great Hall of the People.
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