There's nothing on the local news channels or in the local newspapers. Even his name was casually mentioned in the Chinese media only on the second day of his visit to Beijing. Kim Jong-un made an undisclosed visit to China at the invitation of Xi Jinping riding the usual armored train. Why? Washington and Seoul want to know that more than anyone else.
Anastasia Sakhovskaya with the details.
The secret visit immediately became an open one. Police units were deployed to the border city of Dandong. The hotels closed all of the suites overlooking the station where the familiar yellow-striped armored train arrived. Among the passengers were the leader of the DPRK, his wife and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense. The delegation was spotted at the Pyongyang station by a South Korean news channel.
"The chairman is accompanied by his senior officials, including Kim Jong-chol, the key figure in the nuclear negotiations with the US".
Curiously enough, the Americans are also in Beijing right now, discussing a possible truce in the trade war. The delegation, led by the US Deputy Trade Representative, silently walks from the hotel to the Ministry of Commerce. Will Beijing use Kim's visit as a trump card in the negotiations? The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the visits are unrelated. Claiming that the coincidence was caused by the tight diplomatic schedule.
Lu Kang, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson: "We're committed to the development of friendship between China and North Korea. Our position regarding the US is also transparent and we don't require additional measures to get our point across".
Another detail: Both the US and the North Korean corteges consisted of a minimum of eight cars. Kim Jong-un was accompanied by the unfailing biker unit. Pyongyang is obviously counting on the solid Chinese home front because Trump will negotiate only if they disarm first.
Kim Eui-kyeom, Spokesperson of the South Korean President: "We hope that the fourth visit to China by Chairman Kim will be the starting point for the new USA-North Korea summit".
South Korean media assumes that Kim's next destination might be Seoul. The location of the second USA-North Korea summit has not yet been selected. But there's a chance that it might take place in February.
Anastasia Sakhovskaya Vesti, Beijing.
