Kim Jong Un family has made denuclearization vows in China before

North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un. (Source: AP)

Like his father in 2011, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a secretive trip to China to affirm fraternal ties and declare a commitment to denuclearization. But it remains to be seen what will happen with North Korea’s nuclear weapons development, which only speeded up after Kim Jong Il’s visit. President Donald Trump expressed optimism on Wednesday after the younger Kim’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, saying there’s “a good chance” that Kim will “do what is right for his people and for humanity.”

But there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical. North Korea has yet to spell out what it wants in return for abandoning a weapons program that Kim likely views as a guarantee for the survival of his totalitarian regime.