Overview

• Chinese state media said Xi Jinping met Kim Jong Un at the Great Hall of the People for talks, tea and dinner, marking their first bilateral meeting in six years.
• Xinhua quoted Xi as pledging to maintain, consolidate and develop ties while strengthening high-level exchanges and strategic communication.
• Kim told Chinese counterparts he seeks deeper, mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation, and he voiced support for China on issues including Taiwan, according to Xinhua.
• Kim traveled by armored train, joined Xi and Vladimir Putin at the Tiananmen military parade, then departed Beijing shortly after the talks, South Korean media reported.
• China defended inviting Putin and Kim to the parade and said its diplomacy is not directed at third parties, as Washington and the EU voiced public criticism of the display.