As regional alliances continue to shift, Chinese President, Xi Jinping, will travel to North Korea for talks with leader Kim Jong Un in his first visit to Pyongyang since 2019.
The visit, scheduled for June 8 – 9 following an invitation from Kim, signals renewed diplomatic engagement between Beijing and Pyongyang as both sides look to strengthen ties after a period of limited exchanges during the COVID-19 pandemic. China, North Korea’s closest formal ally and key economic partner, has been working to reassert its influence as North Korea deepens cooperation with Russia.
The trip also comes amid a broader round of high-level diplomacy by Xi, who has recently met with leaders of Russia and the United States. In those meetings, discussions ranged from global security tensions to regional stability, including issues linked to the ongoing Russia–Ukraine conflict and wider geopolitical rivalries.
North Korea’s relations with Russia have grown closer since the pandemic and Moscow’s war in Ukraine, with increased cooperation that has reportedly included military support. China, meanwhile, has emphasized maintaining strategic coordination with Pyongyang while encouraging regional stability.
Beijing has also signaled interest in keeping communication channels open with Washington, even as disputes persist over issues such as Taiwan and broader security competition in the Asia-Pacific.
Xi’s last known meeting with Kim took place in 2019, and both leaders have since participated in limited but symbolic diplomatic exchanges, including regional summits and commemorative events involving other global partners.
