Attention is being drawn to whether North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s special envoy to China will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.

Observers say the possibility of the North's Vice Marshall Choe Ryong-hae meeting Xi has become stronger as Choe expressed the North’s desire to hold talks with "relevant parties.” Choe revealed such a stance when he met with first secretary of the Communist Party of China's central secretariat Liu Yun-shan on Thursday.

If the meeting takes place, Choe is likely to convey a letter and message from the North Korean leader.

Xi returned to Beijing on Thursday after making a three-day trip to Sichuan province which was hit by a magnitude seven earthquake last month.

If Choe gets to meet Xi, he will likely depart Beijing via a special plane as early as Friday afternoon.