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3w ago

Xi Jinping Likely to Visit North Korea as Beijing Declines to Confirm

Reports say the trip could give China a mediating role in possible talks between Kim Jong Un and President Trump and alter regional stability dynamics.

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This picture taken on February 16, 2026 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on February 17, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) and his daughter Ju Ae (L) responding to citizens at the inauguration ceremony of 10,000 flats at fourth stage in Hwasong area of Pyongyang. KCNA VIA KNS / AFP via Getty / South Korea OUT / ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTSTHIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE. /
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Overview

  • Multiple South Korean outlets and Yonhap reported on Friday that Xi is highly likely to travel to Pyongyang later this month or in early June, citing intelligence and preparatory protocol and security visits.
  • The Chinese foreign ministry has not confirmed the trip and spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the ministry has "nothing to share" when asked about the reports.
  • Seoul says it is monitoring related movements and Unification Minister Chung Dong-young told reporters that a Kim–Trump summit would "surely be discussed" if Xi visits.
  • The possible visit would follow Xi’s hosting of President Trump on May 14–15 and a visit by Vladimir Putin, and it would be Xi’s first trip to North Korea since 2019 if it takes place.
  • If confirmed, the trip could position Beijing as a broker between Pyongyang and Washington and reshape diplomatic momentum on the Korean Peninsula, but current accounts rely on limited sources and remain unverified.