Kim in Beijing: Why Xi's still the one he needs to see

 

Early on Wednesday morning local time, Chinese state media confirmed that the mystery visitor from across the Yalu River - carried on board an armoured train and received with much pomp and circumstance in Beijing - was none other than North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, writes Ankit Panda.

The trip marks Kim's first known trip outside of North Korea since he assumed the reins of power after his father's death in 2011.
After more than six years of purges, internal power consolidation and breakthroughs in nuclear and ballistic missile technology, Kim has left the Hermit Kingdom, at Chinese President Xi Jinping's invitation.
Under normal circumstances, such a trip would be seen as a marker of Kim's confidence - with North Korea's regime apparatus firmly under his thumb, he has felt ready to leave the country. A less secure leader might have feared a challenge to his authority or even a coup had he left the country prematurely.
But not only is Kim now confident enough to leave the country, he is seen playing the role of statesman, standing alongside Xi, himself the leader of a nuclear power state and permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
And like Kim, Xi - following a recent change to China's constitution - will almost certainly lead his country for life, so their personal relationship matters.
China reportedly notified the United States of Kim's visit after it had occurred, further emphasising Kim's status as the belle of the ball in North East Asia. The North Korean leader sees his nuclear weapons as having conferred on his country a certain degree of status and prestige; his trip to China serves to underline that.