After some speculation, China and North Korea both confirmed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met the most important man in China, President Xi Jinping on Wednesday (March 28) for a 2-day visit.

It was Kim's first overseas trip since coming into power.

Business aside, both leaders also enjoyed a banquet with their wives, Peng Liyuan and Ri Sol Ju.

The banquet was said to be a multi-course dinner with red wine and fruits.

It is unclear what kind of food they were served.

The pictures also show Kim looking at some pretty impressive stuff.

Ri Sol Ju's fashion sense also seems to have struck a chord with China's public winning plaudits from social media users who compare her to popular South Korean celebrities.

Kim to Trump: China is back on our side

Some analysts were saying before that China was left out of the conversation in the upcoming talks between Kim and US President Donald Trump.

That was because South Korea was perceived to be the driving force behind the summits with North Korea while Beijing's role had seemed rather limited.

We now know that is not the case.

According to The New York Times, China is thought to have initiated the visit.

The visit was also intended by Kim to send a powerful signal to Trump that "China is back on North Korea's side," according to Bloomberg.

The meeting also gives Kim more leverage when it comes to dealing with Trump, as it shows that he has a friend in Beijing.

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Not so fast...

However, some analysts still say that not all is hunky-dory between Beijing and Pyongyang.

They noted that China's state media Xinhua News Agency's report on the meeting did not include the customary mention of a "blood alliance".

Nor was there the typical embrace between Chinese and North Korean leaders seen during visits by Kim's father, Kim Jong Il.

Also, according to Michael Kovrig, a senior adviser for Northeast Asia at the International Crisis Group, the reason why Xinhua was careful to describe the trip as 'unofficial' was because Xi is still frustrated with Kim over his lack of respect for China's interests, and Xi personally.

Said Kovrig:

"Kim is not out of the doghouse yet."

Path towards denuclearisation?

Still, with the North and South scheduled to hold their first summit in more than a decade on April 27, the global diplomatic effort to resolve the standoff over the North's nuclear programme could be getting a much-needed boost. 

Leaders of the two countries have only previously held talks twice since the 1950s Korean War, in 2000 and 2007.

Trump, tweeting in response to the meeting between Xi and Kim, expressed his optimism about his upcoming talk in May with the North Korean leader, saying that there is a "good chance" that Kim will "do what is right for his people and for humanity".

However, some critics remain skeptical about the development, saying that the North is only relenting momentarily without being truly willing to give up its nuclear programme.

Top image via Getty