North Korea's special envoy's visit to China is drawing international attention with focus being given to whether he will be able to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, diplomatic sources here said Thursday.
Choe Ryong-hae, the director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army, flew into Beijing Wednesday as an envoy to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He met with Wang Jiarui, the head of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) central committee's external affairs department, shortly after his arrival.
He also toured the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Area (BDA) earlier in the day in the company of Liu Jieyi, the vice minister of the International Department of the CPC. Media reports said the North Korean delegation was warmly received by workers at the BDA.
Most observers in Beijing said Choe will touch on the country's long-range missile and nuclear program as well as asking for more food and energy aid in the face of frayed bilateral relations caused by the North detonating its third nuclear device on Feb. 12. China countered by not opposing fresh U.N. sanctions against its neighbor.
A diplomatic source said because Choe has come to the Chinese capital representing Kim and may be carrying a personal letter from the North Korean leader to Xi, it is likely a meeting with the president will take place.
On the other hand, he may not be able to meet the top leader since outstanding differences between the two countries exist on key issues such as the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and resumption of the six party talks aimed to get the North to give up its nuclear program.
"Choe's visit is taking place without the two sides having reached an understanding on key issues, which raises the possibility that the president may not meet the envoy," the source, who wanted to remain anonymous, speculated.
Others said that while there is a need to wait and see if talks with Xi will occur, Choe as a member of the North Politburo, the top governing body, will likely hold talks with Yang Jiechi, the working-level head of China's foreign policy team, as well as either Fan Changlong and Xu Qiliang, who are both vice chairs of China's Central Military Commission.
Related to the trip, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei said Choe's trip should allow the two sides to exchange views on the latest developments taking place on the Korean Peninsula and other mutual interests.