Kim seeks to strengthen Pyongyang’s position ahead of meeting with US President Donald Trump, expected within weeks
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is spending his 35th birthday in Beijing, where he is due to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, just weeks ahead of his second planned meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Kim began his four-day trip to China on Monday with a train journey, and arrived in the capital on Tuesday morning, which also marked his birthday, a more low-key affair in North Korea than the celebrations of his predecessors.
The birthdays of Kim’s father and grandfather are official public holidays in North Korea which, in contrast, does not hold any official events for the current leader’s special day.
In 2014, before the young Kim made his debut in international diplomacy, National Basketball Association player Dennis Rodman sang Happy Birthday to him at an exhibition basketball match in Pyongyang.
This is Kim’s fourth trip to China since his maiden visit in March last year.
