Beijing Reveals Details Of Lavish Welcome To Kim

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was treated to a lavish welcome by President Xi Jinping during a secretive trip to Beijing, the state media revealed on Wednesday, as both sides seek to salvage frayed ties ahead of landmark summits with Seoul and Washington.

On his first trip abroad since taking power, Kim and his wife were met with honour guards and a banquet hosted by Xi, according to state media, which confirmed the visit on Wednesday only after Kim had returned to North Korea.

The two men held talks at the imposing Great Hall of the People during which they hailed their nations' historic relations, with Kim pledging that he was "committed to the denuclearisation" of the Korean peninsula, according to Xinhua news agency.

North Korea's official KCNA news agency said Xi accepted an invitation to visit Pyongyang, which would be his first trip to the North Korean capital since he took power in 2012.

The two men had not met since Kim took over after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il, in 2011, but Xi underscored the importance of developing ties, saying it was "a strategic choice and the only right choice", according to Xinhua.

Xi said he was willing to maintain frequent contact with Kim "under the new circumstances".

Xi and Kim, flanked by officials, sat across from each other at a long conference table at the Great Hall of the People, according to television images which showed the North Korean leader taking meticulous notes.

Later, Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, waved goodbye while Kim and his spouse, Ri Sol-ju, smiled as they left in a black car.

Xinhua said Kim expressed his willingness to hold summits with Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

Confirmation of the visit ended 24 hours of speculation about the identity of a mysterious North Korean visitor after Japanese media spotted a green train, similar to the one used by Kim's father, arriving in Beijing on Monday.

While Chinese officials refused to confirm Kim's presence, a heavy police presence at key venues, motorcades driven under police escort, and barricades in the city centre fuelled the belief that Kim had come to pay his respects.

His visit to China, which KCNA said ran from Sunday to Wednesday, came as a surprise given the state of relations between the Cold War-era allies. (AFP)