By Shannon Tiezzi
Widely quoted comments by China’s ambassador to Seoul don’t indicate plans for Kim Jong-un to visit China.
North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, may be getting ready for his first trip to China, according to media reports. South Korea’s Yonhap News reports that China’s ambassador to South Korea believes such a visit is “likely.”
Speaking at a forum, Qiu Guohong denied speculation that the China-North Korea relationship has been strained in recent years. According to Yonhap, Qiu said that the two countries continue to have a normal relationship. Qiu added, “I think that a visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to China is likely to be made down the road.” When asked about Qiu’s remarks at a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said he had “no relevant information to give” regarding a visit by Kim Jong-un to China.
Qiu’s remarks don’t indicate that there are concrete plans for Kim to travel to China — in fact, the use of qualifiers like “I think” and “likely” indicates that such a visit remains merely a possibility, not a certainty. Last December, Chinese state media called for Kim Jong-un to visit China “as soon as possible, which will benefit the North’s long-term stability and bilateral friendly ties.” Nine months later, speculation continues on when Kim will make his first official visit to China, which would also be his first visit abroad since assuming power in North Korea.
Read the full story at The Diplomat