President Xi Jinping has met with Kim Jong Un in northern China, Beijing has confirmed, in the latest stop on the North Korean leader’s recent frenzy of diplomatic visits. There had been speculation that a high-ranking North Korean official was in the region, and, in a statement published by Chinese state news Tuesday, the country confirmed Kim met Xi in Dalian, in northeast China’s Liaoning province. It’s the North Korean leader’s second trip to China this year—his previous visit was to Beijing in March and was his first foreign visit as leader. The statement read: “Xi held talks with Kim and hosted a welcome banquet for him. Together, they also took a stroll and attended a luncheon. In a cordial and friendly atmosphere, the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries had an all-round and in-depth exchange of views on China-DPRK relations and major issues of common concern.”
