Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Pyongyang later this month to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, according to diplomatic sources Wednesday.
Xi is one of China's next-generation leaders after President Hu Jintao.
"He will make a three-day trip to North Korea starting June 16," a source was quoted as saying.
Xi, who is also expected to visit Mongolia, Qatar and Yemen, assumed his post in March.
Analysts say Xi's upcoming trip to Pyongyang reflects Beijing's efforts to balance its ties with North and South Korea.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak held a summit with Hu in Beijing last month, in which they agreed to upgrade the two nations' relationship.