The fourth-ranking official on China's Politburo Standing Committee, Wang Huning, will lead a Chinese Communist Party and government delegation to North Korea for an "official goodwill visit" from July 15-17, the South China Morning Post reported on July 14. Meanwhile, South Korea's foreign ministry on July 14 announced Seoul was in talks with China to organize a visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

This comes after North Korean Premier Pak Thae-song met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on a July 10-12 visit to China. Additionally, Xi met with Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang in June, Wang Yi visited Pyongyang in April, and Kim met with Xi in Beijing in September 2025 to attend a military parade.