China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in North Korea on a rare two-day visit.
It's the first trip to Pyongyang by a top diplomat from Beijing in years.
Watchers say it reflects the Asian superpower's eagerness to strengthen its hand in issues related to the reclusive regime.
Lee Ji-won reports.

China's top diplomat, Wang Yi visited North Korea Wednesday morning,... as requested by his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho.
It's the first visit to Pyongyang by a Chinese foreign minister in eleven years.

During Wang's two day visit, the two diplomats will discuss last week's inter-Korean summit,... as well as denuclearization and ensuring peace on the Korean peninsula -- key agendas for the upcoming North Korea-U.S. summit, expected to be held in late May.
And with a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un slated during his stay, Wang's visit is seen as a move to boost the role of China
Amid wide concerns that it is being bypassed on North Korean issues, Beijing has been showing active diplomacy.
This in turn, has led to the wide speculation that Wang will express China's willingness to hold four-way talks with the two Koreas and the U.S..

The Panmunjom Declaration, agreed at the inter-Korean summit,... stipulates that the two Koreas will actively pursue three-way or four-way talks, with the U.S. and China over denuclearizing North Korea, and ensuring a permanent peace on the Korean peninsula.

"China will want to listen to the details and the North's perception of last week's declaration, while the North will want to ask for China's support on it. And with the North Korea-U.S. summit ahead, China will also likely emphasize its role in making the historic summit a success."

And China's top diplomat may also look to cement plans for Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea, which was mentioned when Xi met Kim Jong-un in Beijing back in March.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.