Real reasons for Kim Jong-un’s meeting with Xi Jinping

A SECRET train. A sudden arrival. And nothing said to the public until its departure. Why was Kim Jong-un’s visit to China so hushed up?

KIM Jong-un’s visit to China was a total hush-up.

His historical two-day meeting with President Xi Jinping remained under wraps until China’s state media chose to announce it yesterday, in what came as a bombshell to the rest of the world.

But why all the secrecy?

When a deep green train with yellow piping and tinted windows arrived in Beijing on Monday, nobody actually knew who was inside.

READ MORE: Inside Kim Jong-un’s mystery train

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd, who was staying at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse at the time, said he was abruptly kicked out of his lodgings Monday afternoon with no explanation.

“This was not consistent with normal polite Chinese practice,” he said in a speech at the Asia Society in Hong Kong on Wednesday. “None of us knew there was a more important guest about to arrive.”

Kim Jong-un’s arrival by train in China came with a lot of secrecy.

This picture shows Kim Jong-un speaking with Chinese officials inside the bulletproof train in an undisclosed location.

But military sources said it’s actually standard practice to keep North Korean visits under wraps for their own protection, based on the hermit country’s fear of paranoia over assassination by a western rival.

It was the same story with Mr Kim’s late father, Kim Jong-il, and his grandfather Kim Il-Sung.

“It’s common practice to keep North Korean leaders’ whereabouts a secret, because Kim is terrified that the United States or another hostile nation will try to take him out,” a Beijing-based military source told the South China Morning Post.

Another source said Pyongyang had requested Beijing keep the visit under wraps.

The train secretly arrived in Beijing on Monday and left Tuesday afternoon. This photo marks the latter.

Mr Kim’s assassination fears also explain why the train — which some speculate was filled with expensive food and champagne in according with the leader’s lavish tastes — operated at a slow 60 kilometres per hour.

It’s because each carriage is built with bulletproof armour, which makes the train much heavier and slower than average.

WHY WAS THE VISIT SUCH A BIG DEAL?

The visit marked Kim Jong-un’s first move on to foreign soil since he became leader in 2011.

The two countries have been allies since the Korean War, and according to China’s Xinhua News, Mr Xi recalled the warm friendship of the two leaders’ fathers.

While tensions have boiled between the two countries in recent years, China holds a lot of leverage over the hermit nation, particularly as Beijing accounts for 90 per cent of Pyongyang's external trade.

Critics suggest Kim Jong-un needed to reaffirm China’s support as back-up.

An analysis in the New York Times argues that the meeting signifies this traditional alliance between Korea and China will continue.

After all, they share common goals: both nations support the continuation of the Kim regime, and both want the US separated from its alliances in the region.

“The friendship between North Korea and China that was personally created and nurtured together by former generations of leaders from both our sides is unshakeable,” Mr Kim said.

But why make the visit now?

Some critics argue Pyongyang is seeking protection ahead of upcoming meetings with South Korea and the United States.

In other words, a strong relationship with China will prevent the West and its allies from striking North Korea.

China's President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pictured with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju in Beijing.

The timing also suggests Pyongyang may be getting desperate for financial backing.

Last month, Mr Trump announced harsh new sanctions against North Korea.

“It would seem inconceivable that Kim would have gone to Beijing without some sort of economic package from China,” The Australian notes. “It is possible that this will turn out to be just ­another successful North Korean manoeuvre to get past a moment of acute danger.”

The Times notes that — if China does choose to act as its protector — North Korea will be in a much stronger position when he meets with the US.

READ MORE: Trump in ‘great mood’ ahead of historic meeting with Kim Jong-un

Mr Kim told Mr Xi that he was ready for talks with the US about nuclear weapons, promising to give up his nuclear weapons arsenal.

“It is our consistent stand to be committed to denuclearisation on the peninsula, in accordance with the will of late President Kim II-sung and late General Secretary Kim Jong-il,” he told the Chinese President, Xinhua News reported yesterday.

The pledge represents a huge turnaround for Mr Kim, who has made it his country’s goal to become a fully fledged nuclear state.

HOW THE US RESPONDED TO THE VISIT

Mr Trump has confirmed he is keen to meet with Kim Jong-un following the North Korean leader’s visit to China.

But the US President also stressed maximum sanctions and pressure on North Korea would continue ahead of their proposed talks in May.

In a pair of tweets posted overnight he seemed optimistic, saying he believes “there is a good chance that Kim Jong Un will do what is right for his people and for humanity” adding that he was “Looking forward to our meeting!”

He also stressed that maximum sanctions and pressure must “unfortunately” be maintained.

Received message last night from XI JINPING of China that his meeting with KIM JONG UN went very well and that KIM looks forward to his meeting with me. In the meantime, and unfortunately, maximum sanctions and pressure must be maintained at all cost!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2018

For years and through many administrations, everyone said that peace and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was not even a small possibility. Now there is a good chance that Kim Jong Un will do what is right for his people and for humanity. Look forward to our meeting!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2018

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders later told reporters: “We’re going to be cautiously optimistic but we feel like things are moving in the right direction and the meeting yesterday was a good indication that the maximum pressure campaign has been working.”

But as diplomatic as this all sounds, there are fears over what the recent appointment of John Bolton as Mr Trump’s National Security Adviser could mean for North Korea.

Mr Bolton has been described as a foreign policy “hawk” who has advocated using military force against North Korea in the past.

Donald Trump’s recent appointment of John Bolton as NSA has raised concerns about talks with North Korea.

Following Mr Bolton’s appointment last week, Australian national security expert Professor Rory Medcalf told News Corp: “For allies like Australia who are trying to help the US remain a stabilising force in Asia, the John Bolton appointment will make a hard job even harder.

“A big concern with Bolton will be his reputation for advocating the threat or use of force by the US.

“It is now more likely that if the forthcoming summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ends in failure, that the US will have a plan for the use of force against North Korea.

“That could end badly for all concerned.”

@gavindfernando | [e-mail]