27th March, 2018
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday she had “no knowledge” of a rumoured visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to Beijing.
The arrival of a special train from North Korea in Beijing on Monday sparked speculation that Kim may be in China for a surprise visit.
Footage broadcast on Japanese television showed the North Korean train with green carriages with yellow
stripes arriving in the Chinese capital amid tight security.
The train, which may have been carrying a high-ranking North Korean official, passed through the Chinese border city of Dandong on Sunday, sources told Japan’s Kyodo News agency.
Videos shared by foreign journalists on social media showed a large official motorcade passing through Beijing.
U.S. news website Bloomberg, citing three people with knowledge of the visit, reported that Kim was indeed
making a surprise visit to Beijing, his first known trip outside of North Korea since the death of his
father Kim Jong Il in 2011.
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In spite of close historical ties between the neighbouring countries, Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping have never met.
White House spokesman Raj Shah said Monday the US could not confirm the reports but said President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure campaign” had “paid dividends and brought the North Koreans to the table.
Neither North Korea nor China made any announcements about the train or who was on board. South Korea’s presidential office said it could not verify the reports either.
Kim is expected to meet South Korean President Moon Jae In in April and with Trump by May.
Earlier this month, China said it welcomes and “fully supports” the planned Kim-Trump meeting.