[Edaily Reporter Kim In-kyoung ] It has been confirmed that North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un visited China on the 24th. The visit is believed to be in preparation for the “Chinese People’s Volunteer Army Day” (Commemoration of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea) event scheduled for the 25th. Attention is also focused on whether the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Shenzhen, China, will spark the possibility of a North Korea-U.S. summit.

According to an official from the Ministry of Unification, Chairman Kim visited Dandong, Liaoning Province, China, via land that day. It is reported that Chairman Kim traveled by train within North Korea to Sinuiju and then crossed into Dandong, China, via the New Yalu River Bridge. Dandong borders China and North Korea, and the New Yalu River Bridge—which reopened on the 15th after a 12-year hiatus—connects Sinuiju, North Korea, with Dandong.

Chairman Kim’s visit to China comes one year and one month after his last visit on September 2 of last year. His specific itinerary—whether he will travel to Beijing or remain in Dandong—has not yet been confirmed. However, given that Chairman Kim, North Korea’s leader, is visiting China in person, a summit with President Xi is expected to take place in some form. This will mark another North Korea-China summit just four months after the one held in June of this year, following the one in September of last year.

Previously, in June, President Xi made a surprise visit to North Korea—his first in seven years—and during the North Korea-China summit held in Pyongyang, the two leaders agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a “strategic partnership.” It is also noteworthy that Chairman Kim visited China via the “New Yalu River Bridge,” the opening of which was agreed upon during that summit.

The 25th marks the 76th anniversary of China sending volunteer troops to support North Korea during the Korean War. China has designated this day as “Chinese People’s Volunteer Army Day” (Commemoration of Resisting U.S. Aggression and Aiding Korea) and uses it annually to extol the bilateral relationship as a “blood alliance.” Chairman Kim’s visit to China is interpreted as a way to commemorate this occasion. However, it is considered unusual for a head of state to make a surprise visit to another country in a year that is not a milestone anniversary (such as the 5th or 10th anniversary).

In particular, the timing of Chairman Kim’s visit—coming just before the APEC summit scheduled for November 18–19 in Shenzhen, China—is a key point of interest. Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump had mentioned on several occasions since last year that he wished to meet Chairman Kim during his visits to China, but Reuters reported on the 23rd that U.S. and South Korean officials view the possibility of a U.S.-North Korea summit taking place this year as low. With North Korea not responding to U.S. offers for dialogue, the role this North Korea-China contact will play in the possibility of a U.S.-North Korea summit is emerging as a key variable.

Earlier, Japan’s Kyodo News reported, citing diplomatic sources, that strict traffic controls were in place in some areas of Dandong, Liaoning Province, China, which borders North Korea. According to the report, hotel reservations in the area are currently unavailable, and the traffic and hotel restrictions have fueled speculation about a possible visit by a top-level North Korean official to China.