[view] Xi's Visit to Two Koreas Will Contribute to Building Peace on Korean Peninsula

If Xi Jinping's visit to South and North Korea works out smoothly this year, there must be more dynamic changes between China-North Korea or in promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-un asked Xi for a visit quite a while ago. On Jan. 10, Chinese spokesman Lu Kang said, "Elites (high-ranking officials) of China and North Korea have a long tradition of mutual visits; this exchange has been the major engine for the development of China-DPRK relations. We are further going to strengthen this interaction, strategically deepen the communication, and expand the exchanges and cooperation. Regarding the updated issues on this, we will announce them to the public."

From Lu Kang's statement, we can predict that Xi will definitely visit North Korea this year and the schedule is the only matter to be worked out, nothing else.

If Xi's visit comes true, it will be his first visit to North Korea since he became president. It has been 14 years since a Chinese president visited North Korea ? that was Hu Jintao in 2005. Looking back, we can see how China-North Korea relations have fluctuated.

We saw Xi and Kim's summit in Beijing on Jan. 8. This can be interpreted as Xi's positive intention to visit North Korea this year. First, corresponding to China-North Korea's historical change, this relationship has to be improved to a more concrete level.

1) Especially, this year is the 70th anniversary of China-North Korea diplomatic relations; therefore, it is meaningful to celebrate this as a historical point for a sustainable march forward. 2) Since last year, China and North Korea have been moving forward; for instance, they maintained mutual exchanges in high-ranking officials, strengthened strategic talks, and held amicable interchanges to foster healthier, long-term development.

Second, corresponding to peace on the Korean Peninsula, China should promote its "Four Supports" on the Korean Peninsula situation. 1) Support North Korea's sustainable position on a denuclearized Korean Peninsula, 2) Support the sustainable improvement of inter-Korean relations, 3) Support the opening and outcome of the U.S.-North Korean Summit, 4) Support rationally solving each party's interest through dialogue. In other words, Xi's fundamental aim in visiting North Korea is not limited just to China-North Korean relations; it should play a bigger role for the Korean Peninsula's peace and prosperity.

From the above two perspectives, Xi's...