Beijing details N. Korean leader's China visit in FM talks with Seoul: official

Beijing provided further details about a recent visit to China by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during discussions with his South Korean counterpart, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, according to a senior South Korean official. The Chinese side explained during Wang Yi's talks with Cho Hyun in Beijing on Friday that Kim visited the Chinese border city of Dandong on October 24th.

(The Chinese side) emphasized that China's relationship with North Korea primarily revolves around economic cooperation rather than political matters, according to a foreign ministry official. The official further noted that they were able to hear relatively detailed accounts of the visit. Cho Hyun's talks with Wang Yi also addressed Cho's recent meeting with Kim Song-nam, a senior North Korean ruling party official, who had visited Beijing the previous week.

The Chinese side discussed the potential for a U.S.-North Korea summit in the context of speculation about renewed diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang. The official expressed an impression that while a U.S.-North Korea summit is a possibility, it is not highly likely and would largely depend on the U.S. situation and President Donald Trump's willingness.

Cho Hyun called for China to play a constructive role in resolving issues on the Korean Peninsula, including efforts to bring North Korea back to dialogue, during Friday's talks according to Seoul's foreign ministry.