China said Thursday it had "no information" about a possible meeting between North Korea's foreign minister and Chinese officials, shortly after the North Korean minister was spotted at the Beijing airport.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong arrived at the Beijing airport earlier in the day, with the North's Korean Central News Agency reporting that he will visit some African countries.

The Chinese capital of Beijing serves as a de facto gateway for North Korean diplomats who travel worldwide.

Asked whether Ri could meet with Chinese officials during his stopover in Beijing, China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang replied, "I have no information at the moment to offer. If there is any information, we will release it."

Political relations between North Korea and China remain strained over the North's defiant pursuit of nuclear and missile ambitions. (Yonhap)