Kim Jong Un's motorcade heads out on day 2 of China trip

The motorcade of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un headed out Wednesday morning to an unannounced destination on the second full day of a visit to China that has been shrouded in secrecy.

Kim could not be seen but the limousine he uses was observed zipping east down a main thoroughfare in Beijing and then returning about an hour later.

His trip to China, the fourth in the past 10 months, is believed to be an effort to coordinate with his only major ally ahead of a possible second summit with President Donald Trump. It comes after U.S. and North Korean officials are thought to have met in Vietnam to discuss the site of a second summit.

North Korean and Chinese state media have announced his visit but provided no details of what he has done since arriving by train on Tuesday morning.

At the daily Foreign Ministry briefing Tuesday, spokesman Lu Kang gave no details about Kim’s schedule or China’s role as an intermediary between the U.S. and North Korea. He said Beijing remains supportive of efforts to end tensions over U.S. demands for a halt to North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

“We always believe that, as key parties to the Korean Peninsula issue, it’s important for the two sides to maintain contact and we always support their dialogue to achieve positive outcomes,” Lu told reporters.

He said further information about Kim’s activities, the outcome of his meetings and a possible visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to North Korea would be “released in due course.”

North Korea’s state news agency said Kim departed Monday afternoon with his wife, Ri Sol Ju, and other top officials. Tuesday was Kim’s birthday.