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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands during the former’s visit to China in March 2018. (Xinhua News Agency)

China's state-run Xinhua News Agency has reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is visiting China from Jan. 7 to 10. The report was confirmed Korean Central Television, the official broadcaster of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).

Quoting the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Xinhua "At the invitation of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese president, Kim Jong-un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is visiting China," adding that a spokesperson of the International Department of CPC Central Committee said that Kim is visiting China from Jan. 7 to 10.

A train similar to one seen during previous visits by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrives at Beijing Railway Station in Beijing

Kim arrived in China at around 10 pm on Dec. 7 via a special North Korean train at Dandong Station in the border town in Liaoning Province. North Korean and Chinese media confirmed the visit the following morning. They did not include specific details as to Kim's final destination.

This is Kim's fourth visit to China, following visits in March, May and June of last year. This is his second time arriving by train, following his first visit in March 2018. At the time, both sides announced that the visit would take place from Mar. 25 to 28, but Kim only stayed in China for around 56 hours. His train crossed the border at around 10 pm on Mar. 25, arriving in Beijing the following day, whereupon he attended a summit and a luncheon. On the morning of Mar. 27 he visited the exhibition hall of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. After another luncheon with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Kim boarded a return train, crossing the border into North Korea at 6 am on Mar. 28. As Kim's current visit has been announced to occur from Jan. 7 to 10, it's likely that Kim and Xi will hold their summit from Jan. 8 to 9.

For Kim's first and second visits to China, media on both sides didn't report on his visit until after Kim had returned to North Korea, but when Kim flew by private aircraft into Beijing for his third visit, the press reported on the media immediately after the arrival. This sequence of events makes the immediate coverage of Kim's fourth visit worth nothing.

Kim and Xi are expected to discuss denuclearization and corresponding US measures in light of the approaching second North Korea-US as well as possible solutions involving North Korea-China relations. It seems Kim has concluded that he can put himself in a more advantageous position for negotiations with the US by securing regime security assurances and a bigger safety net through North Korea's ties with China.

Kim expressed his determination to finding a solution to the North Korea-US stalemate through Pyongyang's ties with Beijing in his New Year's address. Kim declared he is going to "actively pursue trilateral meetings involving the two Koreas and the United States, or quadrilateral meetings involving the two Koreas, the United States and China with a view to declaring an end to the war, converting the armistice agreement to a peace treaty and establishing a permanent and solid peace regime [. . .].” This reflects his resolve to begin the process for establishing a peace regime via multilateral negotiations involving China.

Kim visited China two times last year before engaging in the first ever North Korea-US summit, and visited China again afterward, an indication that he views North Korea-China relations as a tool for achieving breakthroughs in Pyongyang's relationship with the international community.

Tuesday

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) also reported on Jan. 8 that Kim and first lady Ri Sol-ju departed for China on Jan. 7 upon Xi's invitation, adding that Kim is expected to stay in China until Jan. 10. Kim will be accompanied by top North Korean officials in charge of foreign affairs and national defense, including WPK Vice Chairman Kim Yong-chol. The KCNA noted that Kim traveled to China via his private train.

By Noh Ji-won, staff reporter, and Kim Oi-hyun, Beijing correspondent

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]