Kim Jong Un met with Chinese president in Beijing, state media says

FAN Editor

Last Updated Mar 27, 2018 9:30 PM EDT

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing during a visit this week, according to Chinese and North Korean state media. The trip marks the first known time Kim has left North Korea since taking power in 2011 and the first face-to-face meeting between Xi and Kim.

The reports come a day after rumors of Kim’s arrival via a mysterious train and ahead of potential talks between the U.S. and the North over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. China is North Korea’s closest ally.

Kim was in the country from Sunday to Wednesday. China’s state-run Xinhua news agency aired footage of the two leaders touring Chinese government buildings, and quoted Kim as saying, “We’re determined to turn South-North relationship into a cooperative one and holding a meeting between two leaders. We’re willing to hold dialogues with the U.S. and hold meetings between two leaders. If the South and the U.S. reacts with kindness, denuclearization could be solved.”

Chinese media reported a heavy police presence Monday at a Beijing guest house where foreign leaders often stay. Roads were closed and streets cordoned off, only fueling the idea that Kim had slipped into the Chinese capital. Tourists were cleared off Tiananmen Square, which normally only happens for important meetings, CBS News’ Ben Tracy reported.

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday the White House had been contacted by the Chinese government about the meeting. The briefing included a “personal message from President Xi to President Trump, which has been conveyed to President Trump,” Sanders said.

“The United States remains in close contact with our allies South Korea and Japan,” Sanders said. “We see this development as further evidence that our campaign of maximum pressure is creating the appropriate atmosphere for dialogue with North Korea.”

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Kim Jong Un met with Chinese president

Last Updated Mar 27, 2018 10:53 PM EDT North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing during a visit this week, according to Chinese and North Korean state media. The trip marks the first known time Kim has left North Korea since taking power in […]