BEIJING: For a hush-hush "unofficial visit", North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's trip to China bore all the trappings of a state reception: honour guards, bouquets, red carpets, and a banquet served on imperial yellow porcelain.
Chinese and North Korean state media on Wednesday finally broke the secret about Kim's meetings with President Xi Jinping in Beijing with a slew of images that provided some clues about the state of the complex relations between the old allies.
Kim had never met a foreign leader before, and the secrecy -- a standard security measure during past North Korean state visits to China -- allowed both countries to stage manage any potential embarrassing errors.
Kim discreetly rolled into Beijing on Monday in a slow-moving, forest-green train with tinted windows similar to those used by his father and grandfather, known to have bulletproof carriages.
Upon arrival, he was offered tissue-wrapped flowers and escorted away in a motorcade led by a fleet of motorbikes, according to photos from North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper.
No North Korean flags lined the roads, however, though China typically plasters the city in the standard of the country whose leader is visiting.
At the Great Hall of the People just off Tiananmen Square, Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju watched a bayonet-wielding honour guard march and salute alongside Xi and first lady Peng Liyuan, dressed in a striking white coat patterned with black blotches.
Footage of talks that followed between Kim and Xi from Chinese state broadcaster CCTV cut pointedly between shots of the Chinese leader speaking and Kim studiously taking notes.
Xi referred to Kim as "Comrade Chairman" as he expounded on the two countries' "common ideals and beliefs", according to China's official Xinhua news agency.
The two leaders and their spouses also watched an art performance and attended a welcome banquet.
CCTV footage showed technicolour adornments decorating 10 round tables put out in a high-ceilinged, chandelier-topped room -- including bright fruit baskets piled with grapes and tangerines and crowned with green and orange ornamental birds.
In the middle of the largest, central table where the two couples sat was a decorative diorama of a lake park complete with pagodas, a bridge and frolicking doves and swans.
A photo from Rodong Sinmun showed the two leaders toasting, with Xi appearing to have chosen red wine and Kim white.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.