N Korea, China 'discussing Xi visit to Pyongyang'

China and North Korea have been holding talks about a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pyongyang, a Japanese newspaper reported today as regional leaders step up diplomatic dialogue.

The North is using its Beijing embassy to arrange Xi's itinerary with the international department of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported, quoting Chinese and North Korean sources.

Plans under discussion include a visit to Pyongyang in June soon after a proposed summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, the mass-circulation daily said.

Asked about the report, a foreign ministry spokeswoman in Beijing said: "We are willing to maintain and strengthen high-level exchanges with the DPRK (North Korea), deepen strategic communication and expand exchanges and cooperation to benefit the people of both countries."