Trump-Kim meeting: Why Singapore?

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Europe

After months of speculation and talks, US President Donald Trump announced he would meet with Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12.

Apart from the issues expected to be discussed at the meeting, many people are asking: Why Singapore?

There are three potential reasons for this decision.

Neutral territory

DPRK leader Kim Jong Un shakes hands with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Pyongyang on May 9, 2018. /VCG Photo

When it comes to the meeting's location, a chief concern on both sides is selecting a place that is both neutral in its politics and geography, Yang Xiyu, senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told Global Times.

This automatically excludes China and Russia because of their traditional intimacy with Pyongyang. Likewise, it would be hard to persuade Kim to visit one of the US' allies such as Japan or Australia.

Singapore stands out for its friendly diplomatic ties with both Washington and Pyongyang. Since independence in 1965, Singapore has maintained a close military and political relationship with the US, Yang added.

Similarly, Singapore established diplomatic relations with the DPRK in 1975 and have since retained a long-term partnership.

Diplomatic concessions

DPRK leader Kim Jong Un walks along with ROK President Moon Jae-in to across the border betwwen DPRK and Republic of Korea on April 27, 2018./VCG Photo

Neither leader wants to make it seem like they're going out of their way to see the other, said Yang, also a former diplomat engaged in the Korean Peninsula issue.

Though concessions are a part of diplomacy, both want to avoid coming into the meeting having made more concessions than the other, with distance to the meeting playing a role, Yang added.

President Trump is unwilling to give up too much to Kim, said Lyn Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, to avoid being stuck in an adverse condition during the meeting, despite having compromised with Pyongyang to some extent. Kim has already released three Americans who were detained in the DPRK and traveling to Europe would seem like another concession.

Singapore lies 5,000 kilometers away from Pyongyang, so Kim has agreed to travel a significant distance from his comfort zone. While Trump will also be making the trip across the Pacific to Asia.

Infrastructure

After Kim flew to the Chinese port of Dalian for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, officials were convinced Singapore was a viable option. With a beautiful environment and superb infrastructure, Lyn analyzed, Singapore is experienced in hosting major international events, such as the Youth Olympic Games in 2010, which requires capability to handle a high level of security.

(The article was translated and edited from a Global Times international news piece.)