Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to make a state visit to North Korea next week, marking his first trip to the country since 2019. Pyongyang's state media announced the visit on Friday, emphasizing the efforts of both nations to strengthen their bilateral ties.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the visit will take place on Monday and Tuesday at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. China's confirmation came through a spokesperson from the international department of the ruling party's central committee, as reported by Xinhua News Agency. This visit will be Xi's first to North Korea in nearly seven years, with his last trip occurring in June 2019.
During Xi's previous visit in 2019, he engaged in summit talks with Kim Jong-un. The two leaders last met in September when Kim attended China's Victory Day celebration in Beijing, alongside Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kim Jong-un has traveled to Beijing five times to meet with Xi since assuming power in 2011.
The upcoming meeting between Kim and Xi occurs amid growing military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. Last month, North Korean troops participated in Moscow's Victory Day parade for the first time, signifying the deepening relationship between North Korea and Russia.
For China, Xi's visit presents an opportunity to reaffirm its influence over the Korean Peninsula as North Korea continues to expand its military and nuclear capabilities. Just before the announcement of Xi's visit, Kim Jong-un reportedly inspected a newly operational nuclear site, pledging to expand North Korea's nuclear capabilities.
This visit also holds symbolic significance, coinciding with the 65th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between Pyongyang and Beijing. For Xi, the trip to Pyongyang follows recent high-profile summits with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Putin, potentially setting the stage for renewed diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula.
Reactions to the upcoming visit have varied. A White House fact sheet after the Trump-Xi meeting reiterated a shared goal to denuclearize North Korea. In contrast, the Xi-Putin summit expressed opposition to sanctions and military pressure on Pyongyang. South Korea's foreign ministry expressed hope that the visit would contribute to peace and stability in the region, with China playing a constructive role in Korean affairs.