Kim Jong Un, the reclusive North Korean leader, travelled to Beijing this week to meet Chinese president Xi Jinping under a shroud of secrecy, in his first foreign trip since succeeding his father as dictator six years ago.
The four-day trip, which became the subject of intense speculation after an armoured train bearing North Korean markings was seen in the Chinese capital, came as Pyongyang prepares for a possible summit with President Donald Trump to defuse a crisis over its nuclear programme.
The secrecy surrounding the trip, combined with the extensive security around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square and motorcade afforded to the visiting dignitary, had sparked speculation Mr Kim had travelled to China for a meeting with President Xi Jinping ahead of talks with the US president.