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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shakes hands with North Korean leader in Pyongyang on May 3

Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi will be visiting North Korea from Sept. 2 to 4, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Aug. 30.

Speaking at a regular briefing that day, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said Wang would be arriving on Sept. 2 for a three-day visit to North Korea at the invitation of Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho.

“During the visit, State Councilor Wang will hold talks with Foreign Minister Ri,” Geng simply replied when asked about the specific schedule.

Geng also said, “This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the DPRK. In June, General Secretary and President Xi Jinping paid a successful visit to the DPRK, marking a new historical era in bilateral relations.”

“The upcoming visit by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi is an important follow-up step to implement consensus at the highest level between our two parties and countries,” he continued.

Commenting on the significance and agenda of Wang’s visit, Geng said, “The situation on the Korean Peninsula is generally in a state of amelioration and the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue is still on track.”

“We hope parties concerned will strengthen contact and communication [and] meet each other halfway,” he added.

Geng also said that China hopes to “follow the dual-track approach [combining the Korean Peninsula denuclearization process with negotiations toward a North Korea-US peace agreement] in a phased and synchronized manner” and “seek effective ways to achieve complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of a peace mechanism on the Peninsula.” He further reiterated China’s general position that it wants parties to “properly resolve each other's legitimate concerns.”

“China will continue to play a constructive role in realizing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and lasting peace and stability in Northeast Asia,” he continued.

With both inter-Korean and North Korea-US dialogue currently at an impasse, many are watching to see whether Wang meets with Kim Jong-un during his North Korea visit. Wang previously visited North Korea and met with Kim on May 3 of last year – around one month ahead of the North Korea-US summit in Singapore. But with Washington and Beijing currently involved in trade frictions and a power battle, neither Pyongyang nor Beijing appears likely to sense a great need to work toward sending a more progressive message on denuclearization talks with the US.

By Lee Yong-in, senior staff writer

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