President Xi Jinping may attend North Korea’s 70th anniversary

Wion News: As North Korea celebrates a major anniversary this weekend, the presence or absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping could highlight just how much vitality has been restored to ties between
Pyongyang and its most powerful backer after a prolonged chill.
A visit by Xi to North Korea for the 70th anniversary of the North’s founding on Sunday is expected North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made three trips to China since March this year and has invited Xi to reciprocate but neither side has said whether Xi will attend.
China could be keen to demonstrate the strong ties it has with Pyongyang to ensure it remains a key player in efforts to dismantle the North’s nuclear program. But the celebrations come as President Donald Trump has blamed Beijing for the slow progress of denuclearization.
Below is a look at issues affecting ties between the allies.
Trump suggests that China has been encouraging North Korea to drag its feet with denuclearization to gain leverage against the US in a trade dispute that has seen both sides levelling tariffs on USD 50 billion of each other’s products.