There was a question of why China was moving forces to the Korean border. Were they there to keep North Koreans from moving across the border into China, or was it something else.
We now know it was something else. China was ready to go to war with the U. S. if we took military action against Kim.
Removing those missiles tipped their hand.
Those certainly weren’t to be directed at Kim.
“There was a question of why China was moving forces to the Korean border.”
One theory is that China was threatening the North Korean regime, to keep them on the Chinese plantation - that North Korea has been a hostage of China since the Korean War.
“Trump is turning the screws on China on trade, which is why we’re seeing them jump thru hoops”
Trade with the US is essential to China. That lever may have forced China to both withdraw its missiles, and release its North Korean prisoner.
If that theory is what is actually driving events, then North Korea will move quickly to comply with denuclearization, to maintain the US protection from China, until a formal Peace Treaty is approved through the Senate, which could formalize its protection.