China claims Kim Jong Un has agreed to denuclearize Korean Peninsula - Polidicks

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/27/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-visits-china-according-to-state-media.html China said on Wednesday it won a pledge from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to denuclearize the Korean peninsula during a meeting with President Xi Jinping, who pledged in return that China would uphold its friendship with its isolated neighbor. After two days of speculation, China announced on Wednesday that Kim had visited Beijing and met Xi during what the official Xinhua news agency called an unofficial visit from Sunday to Wednesday. The trip was Kim's first known journey abroad since he assumed power in 2011 and is believed by analysts to serve as preparation for upcoming summits with South Korea and the United States.

So just like that? What really prompted this? god knows Trump will take credit

Probably China saying to NK "Cut the bullshit now"

Ah, I assume he wants something then. This is a pretty typical cycle. They do something the world hates (threathening to withdraw from the NPT in 1993, actually withdrawing in 2003 and admitting to nuclear weapons in 2005, conducting a nuclear test in 2006 etc), then after a while they say they'll make concession to get something from the world (vowing to dismantle their plutonium reactors for food and light-water reactors in 1994, vowing to denuclearise for food and normalisation of relations in 2005, vowing to denuclearise again for fuel and normalised relations in 2007) and then they'll go back to what they always done once they have what they want. These are meaningless promises they have made time and time again and then broken again and again.

They probably know that if he could, Trump would call them on their bluff and rain nuclear hellfire down on them. So it's probably a 50/50 chance of Trump being a reason or not. Or the definite most likely case... the higher ups ran out of food and water, and will definitely "denuclearize" for sure this time in exchange for resources.

You say that, but this is the first time that Kim has left NK since he assumed power. It's not totally run-of-the-mill.

Uh huh, and how does him leaving NK for the first time in ages give extra-weight to their claims?

This picture doesn't even seem real. It's so strange seeing Kim Jong Un in real a formal setting with another leader and not just in blurry footage of him walking around taken from like a 1990's video camera. https://twitter.com/PDChina/status/978786105184026624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2F2018%2F03%2F27%2Fnorth-koreas-kim-jong-un-visits-china-according-to-state-media.html&tfw_site=CNBC

Probably China. Without them, NK could simply not exist the way it does. Either Jinping put his foot down, or NK deems it's time to yet again try to score freebies in exchange for renewed talks and concessions that they actually don't have to commit to.

I'm not saying it does, I'm just saying it's not the same as every other time.

God damn he's so FAT. Looks like fucking asian Cartman.

Doesn't look too chuffed, probably just been scolded by daddy Xi. Xi has such a goofy smile, he's like a Chinese Mr Bean.

Good to hear. NK was never really a threat for an offensive if everyone stayed on their side of the border. They know it will be suicide. However having no nuclear power what so ever was also relative suicide if they fell out of favor heavily with China. They are sitting quite pretty as something not to fuck with, and will remain that way even if they denuclearize. Everyone knows they have the capability now. I just hope things start getting better for the people under direction from Xi, although that's probably not likely.

There has to be a first time visit at some point. NPR theorized that this trip was actually about Kim visiting Xi now that Xi is essentially president-for-life, so now Kim and Xi are going to essentially be each other's neighbors permanently so best to see each other in person to lay out long term diplomacy.

The guy threatens countries on a weekly basis he's going to reduce them to ash with their mighty nuclear weapons. Defies the world month after month after month for years while he develops nukes. Tests rocket after rocket for years. Finally achieves what they wanted to achieve and have become a nuclear power And now all of a sudden he's willing to give them up? And people believe him? The world isn't this naive is it?

He looks like he dressed up as Mao Zedong for Halloween

Surely this is about reducing the possibility that crazy-mens Trump and Bolton will bomb NK (which China doesn't want) while also giving Trump and co. the middle finger for getting things figured out without their tremendous help.

read: denuclearize or we'll stop protecting you

if they did they'd lose all the cards they're holding. It would make no sense do de-nuclearize when everyone in the world is pissed at them. These are nothing but shallow promises built atop a shallow government

Honestly, after Gaffafi i don't really see Kim ever letting go of this nukes. I suspect there is a lot of *** after this statement, "Yes we will dismantel our nuclear weapons*** *by dismantel we mean hide **after South Korea surrenders to us ***Once the US dismantels their nukes etc"

My kingdom for an optimistic rating. Can't see this actually happening at all, unless China's really pressing on NK to behave themselves.

I still wouldn't be surprised if this was somehow linked to Russia's meddling again, to be honest. Think about it. Russia was another one of NKs biggest supporters and suppliers. They have enough pull that, once they put their puppet on the world stage, they can use that pull to even make Kim back down to make their puppet show look all the flashier.

its probably more that he hasn't been able to leave since sanctions have been ratcheted up pretty hard since he took office

Some important things, I think, to note. Kim Jong-Un was educated in a western country (Switzerland, iirc) and has reportedly spent a lot of time abroad before he was called upon to ascend to the throne. It's hard to imagine that trading in globe-trotting playboy status for Head Of Rogue Nation is a desirable career change that he's in love with. Especially if he has serious medical needs, like advanced diabetes or kidney failure, as some South Korean propaganda has alleged. It's also important to look at this in terms of what China has to gain. President Xi is in the process of maneuvering China in to a position where it can play 'superman' for the world over the next 50 years, the way America did after WW2. From building highways in Africa, to not being responsible for the clusterfuck that is the middle east, to leading the charge on green energy when America turned it's back on the future. It'd be a tremendous feather in China's cap to take credit for North Korea finally standing down and becoming a peaceable member of the international community. It would also be a tremendous headache for South Korea, one of China's competitors in global production and shipping, if they had to switch gears and make good on reunification with a country that they (rightfully) view as a backwards anachronism. It'd be like present-America trying to integrate the 18th century founding colonies, slavery and all.

I think he's only doing this because of the recent success of his missile tests and the knowledge that they can go farther than everyone else expected. NK is feeling very confident and they will most likely use that during any "negotiations"