North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in China on Tuesday on an unannounced visit, in an apparent effort to co-ordinate with his only major ally ahead of a possible second summit with US President Donald Trump over denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.
Kim, accompanied by his wife Ri Sol-ju and senior officials including Kim Yong-chol - his right-hand man in diplomatic negotiations with the US and South Korea, arrived in Beijing on his private train.
He is visiting China from January 7 to 10 at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
While official media gave few details, Beijing witnessed familiar traffic snarls like during Kim’s previous visits during which traffic on the main thoroughfares were blocked for his convoy to pass.
The reclusive North Korean leader visited China thrice last year to meet with Xi before and after his first summit with Trump in Singapore in June last.
He came again, this time on his 36th birthday, in an apparent effort to co-ordinate with his only major ally ahead of a possible second