Ri and Kim met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan in Beijing this week in his first foreign visit as Supreme Leader
China claimed on the same day, after what was supposed to be a secret meeting between Kim Jong Un and Chinese president Xi Jinping, that the North Korean leader has pledged to commit to denuclearization, according to Reuters. "Perhaps China made a decision to put vast pressure on President Kim, overcoming its fear of instability and potential regime change, to convince North Korea of China's massive economic influence", Mr Wolf said.
According to Xinhua, while in Beijing, Kim called on the United States and South Korea to reciprocate North Korea's efforts "with goodwill" and to take "progressive and synchronous measures for the realization of peace".
In 2005, while Kim Jong Il was leader, North Korea agreed to stop its nuclear weapons development program during six-party talks in China.
It remains to be seen if a clearer picture will emerge in upcoming summits between North Korea and the US and South Korea.
The most important takeaway from these diplomatic moves is that Xi has no intention of letting Kim and Trump walk off into the sunset with an agreement that disadvantages China - and Kim seems unlikely to cut a deal that meets the Trump administration's conditions. China wants Kim's talks with Moon and Trump to produce results. Kim's father and grandfather, the North's former leaders, used similar trains for foreign trips. According to Xinhua, Xi and Kim talked about "the situation of the world" in addition to that of the Korean Peninsula. He added that having China on board in fresh negotiations would help achieve stability on the Korean Peninsula.
For the record, Kim wore a pin-striped version of the Mao-collared suits that he generally favours for public appearances, although he did take people by surprise when he came out with a silver-grey suit and matching tie for his New Year's speech this year, during which he took initial steps towards easing tension over the nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula.
Kim and Xi also met at the Diaoyutai State Guest House, where Kim Il Sung planted a tree in 1959 that still stands. The two previous summits between the two Koreas, held in 2000 and 2007, were both held in Pyongyang.
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His landmark meeting with Trump can not be seen as side-lining China in discussions pertaining to the geopolitical intricacies of the Korean Peninsula.
The fact that Kim is asking for support ahead of any negotiating process can be considered a big success by Beijing.
There looks to be more changes coming on that front, too, now that North and South Korea are set to hold their first summit in more than ten years.
Tensions on the Korean peninsula escalated dramatically through 2017 as the North increased activity on its program to develop a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) able to reach the USA mainland.
President Donald Trump went so far as to venture that there is now "a good chance" that peace between North Korea and the USA can be established.
China's rise to superpower status is being accompanied by President Xi Jinping's growing strength as undisputed leader now that he is no longer constrained by a term limit on his presidency.
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