North Korea reaffirms its nuclear-armed status ahead of a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Multiple outlets report that Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, makes the statement and emphasizes that North Korea will “never back down” on its position as a nuclear-armed state. The remarks come a day before Xi is scheduled to arrive for his visit, according to the reports. The outlets describe the message as a formal reiteration of North Korea’s stance on nuclear status in the context of heightened attention surrounding Sino–North Korean engagement. While the coverage focuses on Kim Yo Jong’s declaration, it does not detail any new nuclear tests or specific follow-on actions in the cited summaries. Overall, the reports agree that North Korea publicly reiterates its nuclear status immediately prior to Xi’s China–North Korea diplomacy, presenting it as a firm, unchanged policy position.