Kim Jong Un now poised to extract concessions

An undated photo released yesterday by the North Korean Central News Agency shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju (left) meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing
An undated photo released yesterday by the North Korean Central News Agency shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju (left) meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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The White House had a measured reaction to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's visit to Beijing and meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, while preserving the notion that it was US President Donald Trump who provided the impetus for the diplomatic breakthrough.

"We see this development as further evidence that our campaign of maximum pressure is creating the appropriate atmosphere for dialogue with North Korea," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. A briefing for Mr Trump on the meeting included "a personal message from President Xi to President Trump", she added. No details were offered on the message.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 29, 2018, with the headline Kim Jong Un now poised to extract concessions. Subscribe