Xi Jinping to visit North Korea June 8-9, first trip since 2019

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s two-day visit to North Korea raises numerous questions. Many observers are confused about his goals — why at this time, and what he achieved from the meeting. They believe Xi was concerned about Pyongyang’s connection with Moscow being too tight for Beijing’s diplomatic standing in their trilateral relationship. Does North Korean leader Kim Jung-un play China off Russia? Why was North Korean or Korean Peninsula disarmament not discussed? Could Beijing be acknowledging Pyongyang as a nuclear weapon state? My conclusion is no to the first two questions and yes to the last. After Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Pyongyang in April, rumors spread that Xi would visit North Korea soon. Many thought a July visit would be a better option politically as it would mark the 65th anniversary of the friendship treaty between the two countries. No Chinese leader has visited on the event. After the foreign minister returned, Xi would then visit two months later. It would be odd to delay the visit beyond two months diplomatically. Naturally, a question ar

The seven-year gap since Xi’s previous visit to North Korea suggests a cooling in bilateral relations. What does it mean that he made the trip to Pyongyang at last?

Chinese President Xi Jinping returned home on Tuesday following a rare trip to North Korea that included a bilateral meeting and public appearances with leader Kim Jong-un underscoring a joint push to reestablish the alliance between their countries. Xi flew to the capital Pyongyang on Monday in his first visit there in seven years. During their summit later in the day, Xi expressed China’s willingness to expand cooperation in a wide range of areas including trade, agriculture, construction and technology, while Kim said the two countries will maintain their friendship as “the most important top-priority strategic work,” according to Chinese and North Korean state media reports. Xi and Kim on Tuesday visited a North Korea-China friendship tower honoring Chinese soldiers who fought alongside North Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War. They stressed the importance of carrying forward the countries’ traditional friendship and spirit of resistance against the United States, Chinese state media reported. The leaders, who last met in Beijing in September, also toured a ruling Workers

Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed an “invincible friendship” with North Korea ahead of his visit to Pyongyang on Monday, seeking closer ties as nuclear talks with Washington remain stalled. Analysts say Beijing now prioritizes regime stability and sees North Korea as a strategic buffer amid growing rivalry with the United States.

Xi has wrapped up a two-day visit to Pyongyang, his first official trip to North Korea since 2019.

It was Xi's first visit to North Korea in seven years. Xi and Kim last met in Beijing in September after viewing a military parade alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and other foreign leaders.