Sources reveal that Chinese President Xi Jinping may travel to North Korea as early as next week after recently holding talks with Donald Trump in Beijing, amid close observation of China's role on the Korean Peninsula and nuclear issues.
On 20 May 2026, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing high-level South Korean government sources, that Chinese leader Xi Jinping is likely to visit North Korea as soon as next week or, at the latest, early next month, with South Korean intelligence already receiving indications of this possibility.
A South Korean government official stated that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently visited Pyongyang last month, while China's security and protocol teams have also traveled to North Korea recently, lending greater credibility to reports of Xi Jinping's potential visit.
The meeting would also mark the 65th anniversary of the signing of the cooperation treaty between China and North Korea. Previously, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed readiness to strengthen high-level exchanges and enhance strategic communication with China.
The report noted that this development comes just days after Xi Jinping held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing, where both sides affirmed a shared goal of nuclear disarmament on the Korean Peninsula. Another source revealed that Xi Jinping may attempt to play a mediating role in restoring relations between North Korea and the United States amid regional security tensions.