Following the Meeting Between Trump and Putin, Why Did Xi Jinping Rush to Meet Kim Jong-un?

In recent years, Kim Jong-un has often brought his eldest daughter, Kim Ju-ae, with him on trips abroad, leading to speculation that he intends to announce her position as his future successor. (AI-generated image)

[People News] According to a report by Radio France Internationale on the 21st, citing the Korean Central News Agency, intelligence sources suggest that "Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping is likely to visit North Korea at the end of this month or the beginning of next month." The report indicates that China's (the CCP's) security and protocol teams recently travelled to Pyongyang. Since these teams typically arrive in relevant countries for advance preparations before summits, this trend may imply that Xi Jinping could visit North Korea as early as next week.

This year, Xi Jinping has primarily remained in Beijing, with few reports of him travelling abroad. His decision to go to Pyongyang at this time is particularly sensitive, coming shortly after Trump and Putin left Beijing. Additionally, during the Xi-Trump meeting on the 14th and 15th, they discussed the North Korean nuclear issue, and according to the White House, the U.S. and the CCP "confirmed their shared goal of North Korea's denuclearisation." In this context, Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea has raised speculation among political analysts.

A senior South Korean official remarked: "Xi Jinping may try to mediate between North Korea and the United States." Trump may hope that the CCP can play a role in restoring dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea to achieve denuclearisation. However, some analysts argue that the U.S. cannot be unaware that North Korea's nuclear program is supported by the CCP and Russia, aiming to use North Korea to divert the West's attention, particularly that of the United States, and to disrupt the existing order for a hegemonic world. After so many years and numerous rounds of six-party talks, what results have been achieved? Therefore, the CCP is unlikely to genuinely facilitate North Korea's denuclearisation. Any expectations for the CCP to play a constructive role in resolving the peninsula issue are merely wishful thinking.

From Seoul, the South Korean presidential office, known as the Blue House, commented on Thursday about the potential visit of Xi Jinping to North Korea, stating that South Korea is closely monitoring the situation and hopes that exchanges between North Korea and China will move in a direction that supports peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

On the same day, South Korea's Minister of Unification, Jeong Dong-young, addressed reports regarding Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to North Korea, saying, "Given the dramatic changes in the Northeast Asian situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula, it is now time for strategic and in-depth consideration of the stability, peace, and common prosperity of the Korean Peninsula." He also noted, "Since the Chinese side (the Communist Party) has not yet made any official statement, I will wait and see, hoping that the dialogue between North Korea and the United States will naturally become a topic of discussion."

On the 21st, reporters from Agence France-Presse and the Korean News Agency sought confirmation from the Chinese side during a routine press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. Spokesman Guo Jia-kun simply stated that the People's Republic of China and North Korea are socialist friendly neighbors, without providing any further information.

However, the assertion that the People's Republic of China and North Korea are socialist friendly neighbors may reflect a one-sided perspective from the Chinese side, as North Korea has already begun to diverge from China. During the first session of the 15th Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea on March 23 this year, North Korea removed the term "socialism" from its constitutional name and made amendments to the constitution. The new constitution completely eliminated references to the nation and unification, such as "the northern half," "national unification," and "the complete victory of socialism" from both the preamble and the main text. This indicates that North Korea has publicly announced its move away from socialism through constitutional changes.

Some netizens have speculated that Xi Jinping's urgent visit to North Korea might be an attempt to reprimand Kim Jong-un: Why abandon the socialist terminology? Is he considering a betrayal of socialism?

Some netizens remarked that Wang Yi had recently visited, but it appears that the trip yielded little success. It seems necessary for Xi Laoda to make a personal visit; this situation feels somewhat like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, indicating a downgrade in approach. Currently, Venezuela, Cuba, and Iran can no longer be considered a community of shared destiny. Regarding North Korea, what they may be facing could be significant. The socialist camp has diminished, causing some anxiety and unease within the Chinese Communist Party.