Trump Visits China, Summit with North Korea Unlikely

The potential for changes in the Korean Peninsula situation arises with the concretization of President Donald Trump's visit to China and a U.S.-China summit. President Trump has previously hinted positively about meeting with Chairman Kim Jong Un.

Amidst this, prospects for a U.S.-North Korea summit during President Trump's China visit have emerged. Victor Cha, a senior advisor and Korea Chair at CSIS and a U.S. expert on the Korean Peninsula, has analyzed the probability of President Trump meeting Chairman Kim after his meeting with President Xi Jinping in Beijing at over 50%.

However, with less than two weeks left before the China trip, no concrete behind-the-scenes contact for a U.S.-North Korea summit has been confirmed. There is a view that Chairman Kim will not be greatly interested in an event-style meeting without a clear agenda, given his strengthened ties with Russia and improved relations with China.

Consequently, predictions suggest that a U.S.-North Korea summit is unlikely to materialize during this China visit.