Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Foreign Minister, will embark on a two-day visit to North Korea starting on Wednesday.
This diplomatic mission comes on the heels of next month’s scheduled summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The timing suggests that North Korea and China are likely engaging in high-level strategic discussions to address the current geopolitical landscape.
During his stay, Minister Wang is expected to hold bilateral talks with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son-hui, and participate in intensive diplomatic efforts aimed at bolstering North Korea-China relations and managing regional dynamics.
Notably, Wang’s direct visit to Pyongyang has led some analysts to suggest that China is taking a more proactive stance in strengthening ties with its neighbor.
Since February, North Korea and China have maintained steady diplomatic communication through exchanges of letters between their leaders, coinciding with North Korea’s 9th Party Congress. Last month, they also resumed passenger train service between Beijing and Pyongyang, which had been suspended for nearly six years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, paving the way for increased civilian exchanges.
In light of these developments, there is cautious speculation that Wang may meet with Kim Jong Un, the General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea. Some experts even suggest the possibility of a separate North Korea-China summit around the time of the U.S.-China summit in May. Given the potential for dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. during President Trump’s visit to China, observers note that North Korea and China might strengthen their alliance to limit Washington’s diplomatic maneuverability, effectively adopting a pressure strategy.