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Wang Huning (right), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), sees off North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the New Yalu River Bridge as Kim leaves Dandong in China's Liaoning Province on Oct. 24. Wang accompanied Kim during his visit to Dandong that day and conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings and best wishes. / Xinhua-Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to China on Oct. 24 has renewed attention on the possibility of a U.S.-North Korea summit. With U.S. President Donald Trump set to attend next month's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, speculation has emerged that Kim's visit could involve preliminary coordination for talks between Pyongyang and Washington. However, assessments that an actual summit remains unlikely continue to prevail.

According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, Kim visited Dandong in Liaoning Province that day, held talks with Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and China's fourth-highest-ranking official, and returned home the same day. The trip marked Kim's first visit to China in one year and one month since attending a military parade commemorating China's victory in World War II in Beijing in September last year.

A day before China's anniversary of its intervention in the Korean War, known in China as the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, Kim visited the Memorial Hall of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea in Dandong and laid flowers in tribute to fallen Chinese People's Volunteers soldiers. He then inspected a local automobile factory. Wang conveyed greetings from Chinese President Xi Jinping, while the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding North Korea-China cooperation. Kim did not meet Xi during the visit.

The visit has prompted speculation that Kim may have sought to coordinate positions with China ahead of possible U.S.-North Korea talks, in addition to strengthening ties between Pyongyang and Beijing. Kim previously visited China ahead of his summits with Trump. He made two visits to China before the June 2018 U.S.-North Korea summit in Singapore and met Xi in January 2019, ahead of the Hanoi summit in February that year.

Bloomberg reported that Christopher Green, a senior consultant at the International Crisis Group (Crisis Group), suggested Kim may have sought to align his position with China before agreeing to meet Trump. Victor Cha, Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), also assessed that China could help facilitate the resumption of U.S.-North Korea summit diplomacy while countering Russia's growing influence over North Korea.

However, analysts say the chances of an actual U.S.-North Korea summit remain low. Reuters reported that the United States had reached out to North Korea about a possible summit but received no response, while U.S. and South Korean officials also viewed the likelihood of a meeting taking place this year as low. North Korea's insistence on its status as a nuclear-armed state and its rejection of demands for denuclearization remain further obstacles.

Trump expressed his willingness in August to meet Kim before the end of the year but recently said, "I don't know," when asked about the possibility of a meeting. Nevertheless, he has repeatedly emphasized that he has a very good relationship with Kim, drawing attention to whether Kim's latest visit to China will lead to renewed diplomatic engagement between Washington and Pyongyang.

Kim's visit to China has also drawn attention to South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's efforts to restore dialogue on the Korean Peninsula. With direct communication between the two Koreas cut off, China, which has been expanding its contacts with North Korea, could serve as a bridge for restarting dialogue. Lee is therefore expected to maintain communication with China before and after the APEC summit and explore ways to cooperate in bringing North Korea back to the negotiating table and resuming U.S.-North Korea talks.

                                                                                                               Ha Man-joo

                                                                                                         Park Young-hoon