North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited Russia and had a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 13th. On September 17th, South Korean media speculated on whether Kim Jong-un would visit China, especially in light of the increasing security cooperation between South Korea, the US, and Japan.
According to a report by Yonhap News Agency on September 17th, there is speculation that Kim Jong-un might take the opportunity of the Hangzhou Asian Games, which begins on September 23rd, to visit China and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The report highlighted that Kim Jong-un usually prefers to travel by his personal train. Considering the long distance between Pyongyang and Hangzhou, it is possible that he might first send a North Korean high-level delegation, including his sister Kim Yo-jong, to communicate with China. He may then travel by train either to Beijing or northeastern China for a summit.
Furthermore, the report suggested the possibility of a trilateral summit between North Korea, China, and Russia. It is mentioned that Putin is expected to attend the third “Belt and Road” summit held in Beijing in October. If Kim Jong-un also participates, a trilateral summit may be held at that time.
The report also quoted Alexandre Mansourov, a North Korea expert and professor at Georgetown University, who stated on September 5th at a seminar that if the current trajectory of US-Russia and US-China relations continues, the possibility of a trilateral summit between North Korea, China, and Russia should not be ruled out.
