Kim Jong-un arrived for an unannounced visit in Beijing, at the invitation of China’s President Xi Jinping

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un arrived in Beijing on Tuesday morning along with his wife, Ri Sol-ju. It was reported they will remain in China until 10th of January, and are set to meet with president Xi Jinping.

The visit comes ahead of negotiations for a second summit between Mr. Kim and US president Donald Trump that has as goal the nuclear disarmament of the Korean peninsula. This comes only a few days after Kim warned he might take an alternative path if the United States do not ease sanctions and pressure on his country. Tuesday is also allegedly Mr. Kim’s 35th birthday, but his date of birth was never officially confirmed by Pyongyang.

Mr. Kim arrived in Beijing in his distinctive green and yellow train, after which he was taken by a long motorcade with heavy security and is expected to stay at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in the capital’s west.

The trip comes as the U.S. and North Korea look to settle the North’s decades-long pursuit of a nuclear arsenal, and from Kim’s intention to remind Trump that he has “diplomatic and economic options besides what Washington and Seoul can offer,” according to Reuters.

Even though Kim never visited China since 2011 when he took the lead of North Korea, ties have improved remarkably over the last year when visited China three times, with none of the trips being announced in advance.

Source: bbc.com