What is Kim Jong Un doing in China?

North Korean leader is visiting
neighbouring Asian country for third time this year

In Depth

It is Kim’s third trip to China this year, and comes a week
after he met President Donald Trump in Singapore for a historic summit between North Korea and the
US.

In Singapore, Kim agreed to work with Trump toward complete
denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. Much to the surprise of
US allies in Asia, Trump in turn pledged to end joint military
exercises with South Korea, which he described as “war games”.

Chinese state media announced Kim’s latest visit ahead of his
arrival – a marked contrast to the official handling of his
previous visits, which were only confirmed after he had left the
country, says US news network CNBC. No other details were provided.

What is Kim doing in China?

“China is North Korea’s most important diplomatic and economic
backer but has been angered by Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile
tests,” CNBC reports.

Kim’s visit may be one way for China to “highlight its
crucial role” in US efforts to get North Korea to abandon its
nuclear programme, says ABC News. Chinese President Xi Jinping “is
exerting a lot of influence from behind the scenes”, according to
Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at the Washington DC-based
Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The trip has come at an intriguing time, however. The US usually
looks to China to bring North Korea to the negotiating table, but
while US-North Korean relationships appear to be on the mend, ties
between Beijing and Washington are being strained by a major trade
dispute.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said that the
visit would “strengthen our strategic communication on major issues
to promote regional peace and stability”.

Geng added that Beijing supports Russia’s calls last week for
the immediate cancellation of unilateral sanctions on North Korea –
sanctions not imposed by the United Nations framework.

“China always stands against the so-called unilateral sanctions
outside the Security Council framework. This position is very clear
and we believe sanctions themselves are not the end,” he
said.

What else has China said?

Cheng Xiaohe, an associate professor at Renmin University’s
School of International Studies in Beijing, said the visit –
combined with the fact that Chinese state broadcaster CCTV
announced Kim’s visit beforehand – “shows that China is moving
toward a healthier and more normal direction in relations with
North Korea”.

Yang Mu-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean
Studies in Seoul, said Kim’s repeated visits to Beijing this year
show that the recent chill between the two countries over Kim’s
development of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles had fully
lifted.

“I believe that indicates that the blood alliance between the
North and China has been completely restored,” Yang said.