The Kim–Xi meetings were a series of summits between North Korea and China during 2018 and 2019. North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un secretly met with Chinese paramount leader Xi Jinping on March 25–28, 2018. Xi made a classified invitation to Kim to visit China, after which Kim visited Beijing and used his bullet proof train to travel to the three-day meeting. It is his first known out-of-country diplomatic trip since taking power.[1] Kim and Xi had a second surprise meeting on May 7–8, 2018 in the city of Dalian.[2] Kim and Xi had a third surprise meeting on June 19–20, 2018. They had a fourth surprise meeting on January 7–10, 2019 in Beijing, followed by a fifth official DPRK and China summit June 20–21, 2019 in the Forbidden City, Pyongyang.[3][4][5]
First meeting
edit| Date | March 25–28, 2018 |
|---|---|
| Location | Zhongnanhai, Beijing, China |
| Participants |
The first China–North Korea meeting in 2018 was organized by the invitation from Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. During the meeting between the two heads of state, Kim Jong Un officially invited Xi Jinping to Pyongyang at a time convenient for him, and Xi accepted the invitation.[6] During the confidential summit schedule, Xi presented and explained the list of the presents to Kim, who also prepared several gifts and described their details for Xi.[7] Xi urged Kim to strengthen the strategic and diplomatic future partnership between China and North Korea. Kim stressed to Xi that North Korea and China are long-established socialist countries and that there are many ways to cooperate in various aspects in the future.[8]
Reactions
editRegarding North Korea nuclear weapons crisis with a diplomatic solution and Beijing's issue with the United States trade war, the two leaders meeting might be substantial leverage for answering to a puzzle of resolution to both two long-lasting socialist countries.[9]
The Chinese state news agency, Xinhua, quoted Kim's statement: "The issue of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is resolved, and South Korea and the United States respond to our efforts with goodwill, create an atmosphere of peace and stability while taking progressive and synchronous measures for the realization of peace." U.S. President Trump's new national security advisor, John Bolton, stated he would not adopt the unreasonable solution, which included sheer costs for North Korea's denuclearization (e.g., withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korean peninsula or mutual denuclearization for both the DPRK and United States) after Kim-Xi summit.[10]
Second meeting
edit| Date | May 7–8, 2018 |
|---|---|
| Location | Dalian, Liaoning, China |
| Participants |
Kim Jong Un met Xi Jinping for the second time in Dalian, Liaoning on May 7–8, 2018.[11] The two leaders discussed how to cooperate at the communist level on denuclearization, and peace on the Korean peninsula. They also discussed China–DPRK relations and significant issues of common concern, Xinhua reported. U.S. President Trump emphasized that China should cooperate with the U.S.'s continued implementation of economic sanctions, with commercial and financial penalties on North Korea until it permanently dismantles its nuclear weapons and ICBM missile programs. This was the second time China's paramount leader Xi Jinping had met Kim Jong Un in two months, and Xi Jinping reaffirmed his state visit to Pyongyang by the end of 2018.[12]
Third meeting
edit| Date | June 19–20, 2018 |
|---|---|
| Location | Zhongnanhai, Beijing, China |
| Participants |
Kim Jong Un met with Xi Jinping in Beijing on June 19–20, 2018.[13][14] Kim was speculated to have sought advice from Xi about a future, mutually beneficial negotiation strategy between the DPRK and United States.[15]
Fourth meeting
edit| Date | January 7–10, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Location | Zhongnanhai, Beijing, China |
| Participants |
Kim Jong Un met with Xi Jinping in Beijing on January 7–10, 2019.[16] The trip began on Kim's 35th birthday. It is suspected by many that Kim Jong Un was briefing Xi Jinping on the upcoming Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi, Vietnam and seeking advice. Kim transited China via train during the journey to Vietnam.
Fifth meeting
edit| Date | June 20–21, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Location | Forbidden City, Pyongyang, North Korea |
| Participants |
Xi Jinping visited Kim Jong Un in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang on June 20–21, 2019.[17] It was the first official visit by a Chinese leader to the country since Hu Jintao's visit 14 years prior and the first one for Xi personally since his visit to North Korea as Vice President and Politburo Standing Committee member in 2008.[18][19][20] Xi Jinping was met at Pyongyang International Airport by Chairman Kim where he received full military honours including a 21-gun salute and a march-past by the Supreme Guard Command Honor Guard Battalion and the Central Military Band of the Korean People's Army. He also became the first Chinese leader to visit the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun. The following evening, Xi and Kim witnessed a performance of the Korean People's Army State Merited Chorus and Symphony Orchestra at the reopening of the 2019 Arirang Mass Games at Rungrado 1st of May Stadium.[21]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Park, Yuna; Campbell, Joseph (17 March 2018). "Now North Korean diplomat heads to Finland amid new diplomatic flurry". Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- ^ Jiang, Steven; Westcott, Ben; Han, Sol (9 May 2018). "Kim Jong Un meets with Xi Jinping in northern China". CNN. Archived from the original on 9 May 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- ^ "China's President Xi Jinping to Make First State Visit to North Korea". The Wall Street Journal. 17 June 2019. "China's President Xi Jinping to Make First State Visit to North Korea". WSJ. Archived from the original on 2019-11-21. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Daniels, Jeff (17 June 2019). "Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea later this week amid high tensions with the US". CNBC. "Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea later this week amid high tensions with the US". CNBC. 17 June 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-06-21. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Perlez, Jane; Landler, Mark (17 June 2019). "Xi Jinping Will Make First Visit to North Korea Ahead of Meeting With Trump". The New York Times. Perlez, Jane; Landler, Mark (17 June 2019). "Xi Jinping Will Make First Visit to North Korea Ahead of Meeting with Trump". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2020-01-08. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Huang, Cary (3 April 2018). "Kim Jong-un and Xi Jinping take centre stage in diplomatic drama on the Korean peninsula". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- ^ "Kim Jong Un's visit to China - Korean Central TV documentary". YouTube (Online video). Korean Central TV documentary. 29 March 2018. 9′21″. Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- ^ "Kim Jong Un's visit to China [English][North Korean TV]". YouTube (Online video). stimmekoreas. 29 March 2018. Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- ^ "Kim's visit to China: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours". Hong Kong Economic Journal. 29 March 2018. Archived from the original on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- ^ Aum, Frank (28 March 2018). "North Korea-China Summit: The 'Strategic Choice' by Both Sides- Frank Aum: Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-Un Meet to Seek Leverage with the United States". Hong Kong Economic Journal on March 29. Archived from the original on 15 April 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
- ^ Jin, Jiaxu (金佳绪) (10 May 2018). 40多天两度会晤，习近平同金正恩谈了哪些大事 [Two meetings in more than 40 days, Xi Jinping discussed what important issues with Kim Jong-un] (in Chinese). Xinhuanet. Archived from the original on 24 May 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- ^ Jiang, Steven; Westcott, Ben (8 May 2018). "Kim Jong Un holds second meeting with Xi Jinping in China". Archived from the original on 8 May 2018.
- ^ 朝鲜领导人金正恩6月19日至20日对中国进行访问 [North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited China from June 19th to 20th] (in Chinese). 163.com. 19 June 2018. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
- ^ Li, Zhongfa (李忠发) (19 June 2018). 习近平举行仪式欢迎金正恩访华 [Xi Jinping holds ceremony welcoming Kim Jong-un to China] (in Chinese). thepaper.cn. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
- ^ Lu, Zhenhua; Lee, Jeong-ho (19 June 2018). "North Korea's Kim Jong-un in China for two-day trip 'to brief Xi Jinping on Donald Trump summit'". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
- ^ Smith, Alexander (9 January 2019). "Kim's China visit shows Trump he's 'not the only game in town'". NBC News. Archived from the original on 2019-01-10. Retrieved 2019-01-09.
- ^ "China's Xi Jinping to make first official trip to North Korea". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 2019-09-30. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
- ^ "China's Xi to make first state visit to N Korea". BBC News. June 17, 2019. Archived from the original on June 17, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^ "Xi Jinping to make first official visit to North Korea". CNN. 17 June 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-06-17. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
- ^ Sang, Lucia Suarez (2019-06-17). "Chinese President Xi to visit North Korea amid Hong Kong protests, tension with US". Fox News. Archived from the original on 2019-06-17. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
- ^ Ben Westcott; Joshua Berlinger (21 June 2019). "North Korea holds mass celebration in Xi's honor amid talks on US tensions". CNN. Archived from the original on 2020-02-25. Retrieved 2020-02-25.