China asserts power in US-North Korea negotiations with Kim Jong-un’s surprise Beijing visit

In hosting North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un on a surprise visit to Beijing, China’s President Xi Jinping has made clear to the United States that his country will be an integral part of the as-yet-to-be-scheduled and unprecedented negotiations between Mr Kim and President Donald Trump. The meeting put a new coat of paint on the relationship between the two countries, which was believed to have soured somewhat as China backed UN sanctions against Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes. The secret journey by Mr Kim, believed to be his first international trip since taking power in 2011, has allowed Mr Xi to ensure China’s interests are represented whether they are physically present for the negotiations or not.

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