Conspicuously missing from the North Korean diplomatic charm offensive that has marked 2018 has been overtures toward China. That oversight was rectified this week, as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a two-day visit to Beijing. While engagement is to be applauded, we must remain clear-eyed about Pyongyang's intentions: North Korea is looking for cracks in the united front that it faces. It seeks to exploit and widen them to maximize its bargaining position and minimize concessions in talks that will follow.
The trip was shrouded in secrecy, which is standard fare for North Korean leaders. When Kim Jong Il, the current leader's father, traveled, official confirmation occurred only after he returned home. This time, speculation was triggered by reports of heavy security at the China-North Korea border and train delays in northeast China. Monday afternoon a train that resembled one used by Kim Jong Il pulled into the main Beijing train station. A long motorcade soon departed for the Chinese government guesthouse for visiting officials. The size of the motorcade and the security presence prompted speculation that the visitor was Kim Jong Un, or his sister, Kim Yo Jong, who had led the North Korean delegation to the Winter Games in Pyeongchang last month.
The train left Beijing on Tuesday evening, and only Wednesday did Chinese and North Korean state media confirm that Kim, along with his wife and top aides, had made an "unofficial" visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. The visit is thought to be Kim's first trip abroad since he assumed the leadership of North Korea in 2011 upon his father's death.