Chinese President Xi Jinping to Visit North Korea to Reassert Ties
BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea from June 8 to 9, his first trip to the country in nearly seven years, as Beijing seeks to reinforce its relationship with its only formal treaty ally.
The visit, which comes at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, follows separate summits Xi hosted in Beijing last month with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Beijing has been working to bring Pyongyang back into its fold after relations were strained by the COVID-19 pandemic, which froze exchanges, and North Korea’s deepening ties with Moscow, which included sending troops and weapons to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. An expert noted the implicit message from China is that it remains the “principal actor when it comes to North Korea,” with Russia being one of the intended audiences for this signal.
This trip marks Xi’s first overseas visit this year. The 72-year-old leader’s international travel has become less frequent. His last trip abroad was to South Korea in late October. Analysts suggest China aims to maintain a diplomatic symmetry regarding the two Koreas. Since becoming China’s top leader in 2012, Xi has visited North Korea once and South Korea twice.
The visit also comes amid heightened focus on North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. This week, North Korean state media reported on Kim’s visit to a new nuclear material production factory, where he called for an “exponential” expansion of Pyongyang’s atomic arsenal. Experts have linked this development to the impending meeting with Xi.
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Updated: 1:30 PM PKT — June 5, 2026
Chinese President Xi Jinping will make a state visit to North Korea on Monday and Tuesday of next week, both countries’ state media have confirmed. The trip, at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, will be Xi’s first to the country since June 2019.
North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and the International Department of China’s Communist Party Central Committee both announced the upcoming visit, describing it as a rare and significant diplomatic engagement aimed at strengthening bilateral relations.
Updated: 11:58 AM PKT — June 5, 2026
The visit is being viewed as an attempt by Beijing to reassert its strategic influence in Northeast Asia, particularly as Pyongyang rapidly expands its relationship with Moscow. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has fostered closer cooperation with Russia in recent years, reportedly including military collaboration related to the war in Ukraine.
Simultaneously, North Korea is also seeking to improve ties with China, its largest trading partner and aid provider. The visit is seen as an opportunity for Beijing to restore its influence over Pyongyang and strengthen its own position in the region.
