Pyongyang: China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit North Korea this week for a two-day trip, Beijing announced, as it prepares to host US President Donald Trump next month. Wang will travel to Pyongyang on April 9-10 at the invitation of North Korea’s Foreign Ministry. This marks the first visit by a Chinese foreign minister to North Korea since 2019. During his visit, Wang is expected to meet with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and leader Kim Jong Un.

According to Anadolu Agency, the visit is part of ongoing efforts by Beijing and Pyongyang to enhance communication and coordination on regional and international issues. The timing of Wang’s visit coincides with preparations for a potential visit by Trump to China. The White House has confirmed a state visit for May 14-15, though Beijing has not yet officially announced it. This has led to speculation that Trump and Kim could meet again following Trump’s visit to Beijing.

South Korea’s intelligence agency noted that North Korea might be preparing for renewed diplomatic engagement after a possible Trump-Xi summit in May, as reported by Yonhap News. Trump and Kim previously held three summits during Trump’s first term, with their last meeting taking place in 2019 at the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea. However, there has been no official confirmation of a new summit on the horizon.

Before a visit to South Korea late last year, Trump expressed his willingness to meet Kim ‘if the latter wants to hold talks.’ North Korea has shown a willingness to engage in dialogue if the United States recognizes its nuclear status, which Kim Jong Un has labeled as ‘irreversible.’