PYONGYANG — Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in North Korea on Monday for a rare state visit that comes at a delicate moment for Beijing’s relationship with Kim Jong Un, as Pyongyang deepens military and political ties with Russia while continuing to expand its nuclear program.
Xi landed in Pyongyang on June 8 for a two-day trip, his first visit to North Korea in seven years. He is expected to hold talks with Kim on regional security, economic cooperation and the future direction of one of Asia’s most closely watched alliances.
No formal agenda has been released. That absence has fuelled speculation among diplomats and analysts about what both leaders hope to gain.
What’s happening around the world: Total Solar Eclipse 2026 Set for Europe
The visit comes less than a year after Xi and Kim met in Beijing and amid growing concern in China that North Korea’s relationship with Russia has become increasingly important to Pyongyang. Since Russia’s war in Ukraine intensified, Western governments have accused North Korea of supplying weapons, ammunition and even military personnel to Moscow. Russia and North Korea signed a strategic partnership treaty in 2024 that included mutual defense commitments.
China remains North Korea’s dominant economic partner, accounting for roughly 90% of the country’s recorded foreign trade. Analysts say Beijing wants to ensure that influence does not erode further.
“North Korea can’t solely rely on Russia. It needs to align with China”, said Kwak Gil Sup, head of the One Korea Center, a research organization focused on North Korean affairs.
The timing is also significant. This year marks 65 years since China and North Korea signed their mutual defense treaty, still China’s only formal military alliance.
Chinese state media framed the visit as an effort to strengthen strategic coordination. In an article published by North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper, Xi said the two countries should work together against “hegemonism and coercive politics” and pursue what he described as an orderly multipolar world.
The trip unfolds as North Korea accelerates its nuclear weapons development. Last week Kim unveiled a new facility intended to produce nuclear materials and called for expanding the country’s nuclear arsenal. His sister, senior official Kim Yo Jong, dismissed U.S. denuclearization efforts as an “escapist and anachronistic dream”.
Analysts do not expect Xi to publicly pressure Kim over nuclear weapons during the visit. Instead, many believe Beijing is prioritizing stability and influence over confrontation. “Implementing U.N. Security Council resolutions and enforcing sanctions do not appear to be priorities for China”, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
Behind the diplomacy is a broader strategic calculation. China wants to maintain leverage over developments on the Korean Peninsula, particularly as Donald Trump has signalled interest in reopening talks with Kim. Beijing played a central role ahead of earlier Trump-Kim summits and appears determined to remain involved if diplomacy resumes.
Whether the visit produces economic agreements, aid commitments or new security cooperation remains unclear. For now, Xi’s arrival in Pyongyang signals that China is not prepared to leave North Korea’s future increasingly shaped by Moscow alone.
For more updates follow: First Report News
