North Korea’s Kim Jong Un

The Japanese authorities asked China to provide them with the details of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s unofficial visit to Beijing, local media reported on Wednesday.

Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju paid an unofficial visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping from March 25 to March 27.

Meanwhile the visit was not officially announced.

“The Japanese Foreign Ministry is now arranging a meeting with Chinese diplomats to hear about the developments that led to the meeting between the North Korean and Chinese leaders and details of their discussion,’’ it reported.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday that Tokyo would gather and analyse the information related to Kim’s visit.

According to Abe, it was revealed that Pyongyang had asked Beijing for dialogue prior to an inter-Korean summit, planned for April, and a meeting between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump, expected to take place before the end of May.

Meanwhile, South Korean media reported earlier in the day citing a presidential spokesperson that Beijing had informed Seoul about Kim’s visit to China in advance.

Similarly, the White House said it was briefed by China about the meeting on Tuesday.

Kim’s visit to China was his first foreign trip since he came to power in 2011. (Sputnik/NAN)