Kim Jong-un surprised many this past week when he made an unexpected and unplanned trip to china to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. There was much speculation as to what the meeting was about and why it was taking place.

Emerging from the secretive meetings, though, is the most positive signs for peace on the Korean peninsula in decades.

China pledged to continue their friendship with the reclusive hermit nation, in exchange for Kim Jong Un's pledge to denuclearization. After months of fiery rhetoric and missile tests, North Korea may finally be ready to negotiate a lasting peace without the need for conflict.

Kim even pledged to meet with U.S. and South Korean officials in the coming weeks and months.

It is the most sincere attempt at peace that the world has seen from North Korea in decades.

Can Kim be trusted?

Skeptics would say that in no way should Kim be taken at face value when he says that North Korea is willing to give up their nuclear arsenal. However, he may have finally been pushed enough into a corner through sanctions and isolation that he is seeing that the grass may indeed be greener on the other side.

Meeting with China, North Korea's lone ally in the region may have given Kim some needed context for the entire situation.

Should things go the route of military conflict, it is unclear whether or not China would rush to North Korea's side.

Risking an all-out war with the United States is not something to be taken lightly. It is likely that China wants no part in another nation deciding whether or not that war happens.

Another reason for optimism is China's own current relations with the U.S. The two countries are currently embroiled into a trade war with one another and the deescalating of the Korean peninsula crisis is something that could help mend ties for both nations.

This is pure speculation, but it would make sense that each of these issues would need to be resolved and the culmination of that happening would hopefully put the prospect of war on the back burner.

What's next?

Kim has agreed to meet with U.S. and South Korean officials, which is another good sign for peace. President Donald Trump has been open to the idea of a one on one meeting with Kim, which would be a huge turning point in relations for both countries.

This trip to China is the first time Kim Jong Un has left North Korea since taking power in 2011. Meeting with other world leaders may continue to shape the young leaders view on the rest of the world and help bring a lasting peace to the Korean peninsula.
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