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| As North Korean Missile Launch Fails, Pyongyang Official Visits Beijing | As North Korean Missile Launch Fails, Pyongyang Official Visits Beijing |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| BEIJING — A senior North Korean official arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for talks between his country and China, whose ties are formally close but have eroded recently because of the North’s nuclear weapons program. | BEIJING — A senior North Korean official arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for talks between his country and China, whose ties are formally close but have eroded recently because of the North’s nuclear weapons program. |
| On Tuesday morning, North Korea tried unsuccessfully to fire an intermediate-range Musudan ballistic missile, the fourth failed attempt in two months, according to the Yonhap news agency in South Korea. | On Tuesday morning, North Korea tried unsuccessfully to fire an intermediate-range Musudan ballistic missile, the fourth failed attempt in two months, according to the Yonhap news agency in South Korea. |
| The visiting official, Ri Su-yong, a former foreign minister who was recently promoted to the Politburo, came to discuss the recent congress in Pyongyang of the Workers’ Party, said a former senior Chinese official familiar with the visit as well as North Korea. The official declined to be identified given the sensitivity of the matter. | The visiting official, Ri Su-yong, a former foreign minister who was recently promoted to the Politburo, came to discuss the recent congress in Pyongyang of the Workers’ Party, said a former senior Chinese official familiar with the visit as well as North Korea. The official declined to be identified given the sensitivity of the matter. |
| The Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that Mr. Ri had arrived in Beijing on Tuesday morning and that his motorcade had made its way to the compound of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, in the city center. | The Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that Mr. Ri had arrived in Beijing on Tuesday morning and that his motorcade had made its way to the compound of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, in the city center. |
| The International Liaison Department of the Communist Party in Beijing said that Mr. Ri had met with Song Tao, who leads the department. | The International Liaison Department of the Communist Party in Beijing said that Mr. Ri had met with Song Tao, who leads the department. |
| The Workers’ Party congress, in early May, sought to cement the power of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, with whom Mr. Ri is considered close. Mr. Ri was North Korea’s ambassador to Switzerland at the time Mr. Kim attended a boarding school there, North Korea experts have said. | The Workers’ Party congress, in early May, sought to cement the power of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, with whom Mr. Ri is considered close. Mr. Ri was North Korea’s ambassador to Switzerland at the time Mr. Kim attended a boarding school there, North Korea experts have said. |
| Mr. Ri’s visit continued efforts by Mr. Kim to court China, the North’s main trading partner and benefactor, as the country feels the effects of United Nations sanctions. | |
| Still, China has been frustrated enough by the North’s continued testing of nuclear weapons and launching of missiles that it agreed to the international sanctions in March, and Beijing seemed unlikely to offer substantial support to the North during Mr. Ri’s visit. | Still, China has been frustrated enough by the North’s continued testing of nuclear weapons and launching of missiles that it agreed to the international sanctions in March, and Beijing seemed unlikely to offer substantial support to the North during Mr. Ri’s visit. |
| The North Korean official appeared most likely to meet with senior Chinese Communist Party officials, leaving open the question of whether President Xi Jinping, who also serves as secretary general of the party, would agree to see him. In keeping with normal party courtesy, Mr. Xi sent Mr. Kim a congratulatory note after the Workers’ Party congress. | The North Korean official appeared most likely to meet with senior Chinese Communist Party officials, leaving open the question of whether President Xi Jinping, who also serves as secretary general of the party, would agree to see him. In keeping with normal party courtesy, Mr. Xi sent Mr. Kim a congratulatory note after the Workers’ Party congress. |
| But the former Chinese official said he thought it unlikely that Mr. Xi would meet with the North Korean visitor. | But the former Chinese official said he thought it unlikely that Mr. Xi would meet with the North Korean visitor. |
| Mr. Kim may have ordered Tuesday’s missile test to coincide with Mr. Ri’s visit, as a way of signaling to the Chinese that he would continue to cause trouble if Beijing did not help North Korea, said Evans J. R. Revere, a former senior State Department official in charge of North Korea affairs. | Mr. Kim may have ordered Tuesday’s missile test to coincide with Mr. Ri’s visit, as a way of signaling to the Chinese that he would continue to cause trouble if Beijing did not help North Korea, said Evans J. R. Revere, a former senior State Department official in charge of North Korea affairs. |
| “It may have been timed to coincide with Ri’s visit as a way of reminding the Chinese that North Korea can and will elevate tensions in the absence of others’ willingness to provide assistance,” Mr. Revere said. | “It may have been timed to coincide with Ri’s visit as a way of reminding the Chinese that North Korea can and will elevate tensions in the absence of others’ willingness to provide assistance,” Mr. Revere said. |
| Such a tactic might not be advised given that China has shown increasing impatience with North Korea, Mr. Revere said. Even so, he added, “Over the years, the North Koreans have shown themselves nothing if not skillful in manipulating the Chinese.” | Such a tactic might not be advised given that China has shown increasing impatience with North Korea, Mr. Revere said. Even so, he added, “Over the years, the North Koreans have shown themselves nothing if not skillful in manipulating the Chinese.” |
| The attempted missile launch would almost certainly rule out an audience with Mr. Xi, said Cheng Xiaohe, associate professor of international relations at Renmin University. | The attempted missile launch would almost certainly rule out an audience with Mr. Xi, said Cheng Xiaohe, associate professor of international relations at Renmin University. |
| “China would seem without principle if he is allowed to meet with President Xi after they launched that missile,” Mr. Cheng said. | “China would seem without principle if he is allowed to meet with President Xi after they launched that missile,” Mr. Cheng said. |
| “The precondition for a meeting is that you have something to offer, some new ideas, some thoughts, and anything that could help to break the current deadlock,” he said. “If he is here simply to repeat the old talk like self-defense, or ‘We will not change unless the Americans drop their hostile policy,’ there is no need for such a meeting.” | “The precondition for a meeting is that you have something to offer, some new ideas, some thoughts, and anything that could help to break the current deadlock,” he said. “If he is here simply to repeat the old talk like self-defense, or ‘We will not change unless the Americans drop their hostile policy,’ there is no need for such a meeting.” |