China to send special envoy to North Korea

China will send a special envoy to North Korea on Friday, the state-run media said today, days after US President Donald Trump visited Beijing and urged his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to act fast to rein in Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and missile programmes.

President Xi's special envoy, Song Tao, will visit North Korea to inform its leadership about the outcome of the recent national congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), state-run Xinhua news agency said, without mentioning Trump's visit or the North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes.

The announcement about the Chinese envoy's visit came after Trump during talks with Xi last week urged him to to do more to use China's influence to pressure North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un to give up nuclear weapons programme.

Song, the head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC), is expected to convey the outcome of Xi-Trump talks and Washington’s emphasis on Pyongyang giving up the nuclear and missile programmes for resumption of dialogue and lifting of sanctions.

China, regarded as a close ally of North Korea and its largest trading partner, insists that it is implementing all UN Security Council sanctions against Pyongyang and calls for resumption of dialogue on denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula.

Song would be the first ministerial-level Chinese official to visit North Korea since October 2015 when Politburo Standing Committee member liu Yunshan visited Pyongyang and met with Kim.

Trump, who wrapped up his five-nation tour of Asia yesterday, has warned the North Korean dictator of dire consequences if he went ahead with the nuclear programme.