Xi Jinping did not visit North Korea because he was too busy?

Illustration photo: Yonhap

Last month, newspapers in Singapore and elsewhere speculated that Xi Jinping might visit Pyongyang around September 9 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding.

However, sources said the Chinese government has not shown any signs of a possible visit to North Korea by Xi, adding that Xi is likely to have a busy diplomatic schedule in Beijing in early September.

When the Chinese president visited North Korea in 2001 and 2005, the official announcement was made a week in advance. In those cases, embassies were notified three days in advance.

“Considering past practices, Beijing usually makes an official announcement about its leader’s visit to Pyongyang a week in advance. But now, the Chinese government seems to be focusing on a China-Africa cooperation forum,” a diplomatic source said.

“Due to the deadlock in North Korea-US dialogue and other unpredictable factors, it is difficult to give an exact answer to the speculation about Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea,” the source affirmed.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit, which opened in Beijing on September 3, will bring together leaders from 53 of the 54 African countries, while several countries are planning state visits to China through September 9. In addition, a state visit by the king of Monaco is also scheduled from September 5-8.

Sources speculated that a senior Chinese official could travel to North Korea in Xi's place, as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo postponed a planned visit to Pyongyang last month.

“If someone else visits North Korea in Xi’s place, there could be an announcement. Right now, all possibilities are still open,” a source said.