Amid work to arrange historic Kim-Trump summit, China keen to assert its own role in fast-paced diplomacy
China said on Tuesday that President Xi Jinping had met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in a northern Chinese port city. The unannounced meeting, held Monday and Tuesday in Dalian, was the second between the two men in recent weeks, following Kim’s March visit to Beijing, his first since taking power six years ago.
China is North Korea’s only major ally, although trade between them has plummeted in recent months as Beijing enforces United Nations economic sanctions in response to the North’s nuclear bomb and ballistic missile tests.
The meeting between Xi and Kim comes as the North Korean leader prepares to hold a historic summit with U. S. President Donald Trump.
Shortly after Kim’s visit to China was announced, Mr. Trump tweeted that he would have a phone conversation with his „good friend“ Xi later on Tuesday. „Relationships and trust are building,“ Mr. Trump said.
China has been eager to assert its importance in the process of lowering tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
