Will Xi Jinping's Mediation on North Korea's Nuclear Weapons Fall Through?

North Korea has once again made clear that it rejects denuclearization ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's first visit to the country in seven years. That has dashed hopes in the South Korean government and the United States that Xi would use the trip to explore North Korea's denuclearization and the possibility of a North Korea–United States summit. Instead, there are growing concerns that Xi will further strengthen the North Korea-China-Russia trilateral alliance during the visit.
According to diplomatic sources on the 7th, speculation is growing that Xi will meet with Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, during his visit to Pyongyang on the 8th and 9th and further reinforce the socialist bloc aligned against the United States. Xi will meet Kim less than three weeks after holding a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on the 20th of last month.
Xi has also recently held a series of summit talks with leaders of Southeast Asian socialist countries, including Vietnam and Laos. He met with Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President of Laos, in Beijing on the 5th. To Lam, General Secretary and President of Vietnam, also chose China as his first overseas destination after taking office and held an impromptu meeting with Xi in Beijing in April.
By contrast, the South Korean government and the U.S. administration under Donald Trump have not given up hope that Xi will play a role. The Ministry of Unification (MOU) said, "We hope Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea will help advance peace and coexistence on the Korean Peninsula." The State Department has continued to pressure North Korea, saying that "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" was discussed at the U.S.-China summit between President Trump and Xi.
North Korea, however, made its rejection of denuclearization clear right up until Xi's visit. With Pyongyang firmly opposed, Xi is unlikely to raise the issue of North Korea's denuclearization. In the week leading up to Xi's trip, Kim Jong Un stepped up pressure on the United States by inspecting a nuclear enrichment facility and ordering expanded production of cruise missiles. On the 3rd, the day of the June 3 local elections, Kim visited a uranium enrichment facility that had never before been made public and ordered the strengthening of nuclear forces.
Kim Yo-jong, Kim's younger sister and Director of the General Affairs Department of the Workers' Party of Korea, also said in a statement on the 6th that discussion of North Korea's denuclearization between the two leaders was "the United States' habitual campaign of spreading lies." She added, "We have the most accurate information on whether such a thing is true or not," suggesting that North Korea may have heard a direct explanation of the matter from the Chinese side.
North Korea, however, avoided direct criticism of President Donald Trump. It appears to have judged that provoking Trump would bring no benefit to North Korea.
rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter