How China and North Korea saw talks between Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made a surprise visit to China this week, holding talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Both sides described the visit as a key step in cementing their bilateral relationship, but there were differences in how they presented the talks between Xi and Kim.

China’s state news agency Xinhua said Kim was committed to denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, but that reference was not included in the report by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency. Here’s how state media from both sides reported on the talks.

Xinhua’s version of the trip on Wednesday

At the invitation of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese president, Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), paid an unofficial visit to China from Sunday to Wednesday.

During the visit, Xi held talks with Kim at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan held a welcoming banquet for Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju and watched an art performance together.

Li Keqiang, Chinese premier and member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan attended related activities, respectively.

During the talks, Xi expressed warm welcome on behalf of the CPC Central Committee to Kim for his first visit to China.

Xi said he appreciated that Kim sent him a congratulatory message after the 19th CPC National Congress on his re-election as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and the assumption of office of chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission (CMC).