Chinese President Xi Jinping could be making an appearance in North Korea next month.<br />Reports say he'll be attending celebrations for the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding.<br />Beijing and Pyongyang have been rebuilding their ties since earlier this year... after their alliance went though a rough patch for months... because of Beijing choosing to comply with UN sanctions on the regime.<br />Our Ko Roon-hee has this report. <br />In a sign of the improving ties between China and North Korea, Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Pyongyang in September. <br />Singapore's Straits Times reported Saturday that President Xi will attend the 70th anniversary celebrations of the founding of North Korean regime at the invitation of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.<br />The newspaper added it would be the Chinese leader's first visit to Pyongyang since he took power in 2012. <br />In the past, former Chinese leader Hu Jintao visited North Korea in 2005…and former premier Wen Jiabao made the trip in 2009. <br /><br />In terms of the timing of President Xi's planned trip, the Straits Times said it comes as relations between China and North Korea improved significantly this year thanks to Kim Jong-un visiting Beijing three times since March. <br />Kim met with his Chinese counterpart before and after the North Korea-U.S. summit in June and after those meetings, the two leaders pledged to develop their traditional friendship.<br /><br />The visit is not only expected to further improve relations between Pyongyang and Beijing but also paint a clearer picture of China's role in the North's denuclearization process. <br />An associate professor of international studies told the Singapore-based daily that President Xi's visit will send a clear signal to United States that it will need Chinese support when dealing with denuclearization issues in the future. <br />The paper quoted another expert who said the trip might be a good opportunity for President Xi to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons for the sake of lasting security in the region. <br />Ko Roon-hee, Arirang News. <br />
