Chinese President Xi Jinping could visit North Korea as early as next week, according to a report by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, in what would mark a major diplomatic development following Xi’s recent summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing.
Yonhap, citing senior South Korean government officials, reported late on Wednesday that preparations for the visit may already be underway.
One government source said a team of Chinese security and protocol officials had recently travelled to Pyongyang, suggesting a possible Xi visit in late May or early June.
If confirmed, the trip would be Xi’s first visit to North Korea in several years and comes at a time of growing regional uncertainty involving China, the United States and the Korean Peninsula.
China As Possible Mediator
According to Yonhap, Xi is expected to discuss regional security issues with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and could attempt to position China as a mediator between Washington and Pyongyang.
The report said Xi may try to revive diplomatic momentum between Trump and Kim, who held three high-profile summits during Trump’s first term aimed at negotiating North Korea’s nuclear programme.
Although those talks eventually stalled, Trump has repeatedly said he maintains a good personal relationship with Kim and would be open to meeting him again.
The possible Xi visit comes only days after Trump travelled to Beijing for talks with the Chinese leader, where wider regional security issues were discussed alongside trade and Taiwan.
China-North Korea Ties Strengthening Again
China remains North Korea’s most important economic and political partner despite periodic tensions between the two countries.
Relations cooled somewhat during the COVID-19 pandemic when North Korea sealed its borders, but both sides have since moved to strengthen ties again.
Last year, Kim visited Beijing and appeared alongside Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a major military parade, signalling closer strategic coordination among the three countries.
Beijing has long viewed stability on the Korean Peninsula as a major security priority and has traditionally opposed any military escalation involving North Korea.
No Official Confirmation Yet
South Korea’s foreign ministry did not immediately comment on the Yonhap report, while neither Beijing nor Pyongyang has officially confirmed the visit.
Still, reports of a possible Xi-Kim summit are likely to draw close international attention given rising geopolitical tensions in East Asia and renewed uncertainty surrounding North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
(with inputs from Reuters)
