North Korea’s Kim Jong Un visits China in first foreign trip as leader

iStock/Thinkstock(BEIJING) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited China in his first foreign trip since he came to power in 2011.

Kim traveled to the country with his wife, Ri Sol Ju, according to Chinese state media organization Xinhua. He spent Sunday through Wednesday there.

China’s President Xi Jinping held a banquet for Kim and his wife upon their arrival, Xinhua reported.

Xi welcomed Kim warmly, according to Xinhua, and Kim replied that he “enjoyed the support” of China and its people.

The visit was an “unofficial” one, Xinhua reported, adding that Kim told Xi that he came to personally update him on the developments on the Korean peninsula “out of comradeship and moral responsibility.”

Kim said that relations on the Korean peninsula are starting to improve thanks to what Xinhua reported he called North Korea’s taking “the initiative to ease tensions and put forward proposals for peace talks.”

In addition, Kim expressed a willingness for communication with the United States, according to Xinhua.

Kim said North Korea “is willing to have dialogue with the United States and hold a summit of the two countries,” according to Xinhua.

“The issue of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula can be resolved, if South Korea and the United States respond to our efforts with goodwill, create an atmosphere of peace and stability while taking progressive and synchronous measures for the realization of peace,” said Kim, Xinhua reported.

Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

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