Kim Jong-un went to China today to announce the results of the US-North Korea summit?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping chat during Kim's second visit to China in May. Photo: Reuters

DailyNikkei Asian ReviewKim Jong-un is expected to land in Beijing this morning, according to an unnamed source in Japan. One sign that the visit is imminent is the tight security measures in Beijing.

If confirmed, this would be the third visit to China by the North Korean leader since late March this year. The visit comes shortly after the summit between leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump in Singapore on June 12. At the summit, the two leaders reached an agreement under which Pyongyang would move towards complete nuclear disarmament, in exchange for the US providing security guarantees to North Korea.

Observers believe that Kim Jong-un's trip may be aimed at informing Beijing of the results of the conference and discussing future negotiation strategies with the US.

Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also visited South Korea and Beijing. Mr. Pompeo said that one of the purposes of his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi was to emphasize the importance of China's role in the next steps after the US-North Korea summit.

However, Chris Johnson, a former China analyst at the CIA, said direct dialogue between the US and North Korea could undermine China's influence with Pyongyang.