Chinese President Xi Jinping may visit North Korea as early as next week or possibly between late May and early June 2026, South Korean government sources reported on May 20 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. A Chinese security and protocol team recently visited Pyongyang, signaling preparations for Xi’s potential trip [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 7, 8, 9, 10].
The scheduled visit would be Xi's first to North Korea since June 2019 [5, 11, 9]. It comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s September 2025 visit to Beijing, where he appeared alongside Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a major military parade [2, 3, 4, 12, 11, 9, 10]. Analysts see the visit as part of China’s efforts to strengthen ties weakened during the COVID-19 pandemic [2, 3, 4, 12, 5, 10].
South Korea’s presidential office said it is closely monitoring developments. "We are monitoring relevant developments regarding Xi’s visit and hope China plays a constructive role in resolving issues on the Korean Peninsula," the Blue House stated [3]. A South Korean senior official said there is intelligence showing Xi will soon visit and that he "will try to act as a mediator between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un" [1, 2].
Xi's potential mediation role relates to the history of direct talks between Trump and Kim during Trump’s first term, when the two met three times focusing on North Korea’s nuclear program [2, 5, 9, 10]. US President Trump met Xi in Beijing earlier this month, on May 13-15, 2026 [2, 10]. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol spoke with Trump by phone on May 17 to discuss constructive dialogue on the Korean Peninsula [8, 9].
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, declined to confirm the visit, stating, "Currently there is no information to provide regarding Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea; China and North Korea are socialist neighboring friends with a tradition of friendly exchanges; this is in the interest of both sides and beneficial to regional peace and stability" [5].
The visit coincides with the 65th anniversary of the China-North Korea Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance Treaty in 2026 [5, 11]. Some analysts suggest the trip may carry geopolitical significance beyond bilateral ties, potentially sending signals to the US, Russia, South Korea, and Japan, although this view carries medium confidence [5, 11, 9].
The visit, if confirmed, would come after several diplomatic visits in the region this year, including Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s meeting with Kim in Pyongyang in April 2026 [5, 11]. South Korea and the United States remain attentive to these developments as talks over North Korea’s nuclear program continue.
Reports emerged on May 20 that Xi’s visit could happen as soon as the week following that date, indicating a potential visit window in the coming days or early June [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10].
