The New York Times says Chinese President Xi Jinping’s surprise visit to North Korea is not surprising at all. 

In an article posted on Wednesday ahead of Xi’s two-day state visit to Pyongyang from Thursday, the daily said the timing is not coincidental, speculating it's a highly-calculated move that serves the interests of both leaders. 

The New York Times said it expects Xi will use any progress over the North’s denuclearization as leverage in trade negotiations with the U.S.

It said the summit will also enable Xi to divert public attention away from the anti-China rallies in Hong Kong, while it will help North Korean leader Kim Jong-un brush off the diplomatic hit he took from the failure of the second summit with the U.S. and return to the international stage.