Chinese President Xi Jinping makes first North Korea visit in seven years

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on a two‑day state visit, the first by a Chinese leader since 2019. He landed at the airport around 10:30 a.m. local time, accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, foreign minister Wang Yi and senior party official Cai Qi. Xi met with North Korean leader Kim Jong‑un and attended a ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of the 1961 friendship treaty between the two countries.

The visit follows Xi’s recent meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, signalling Beijing’s intent to reaffirm its influence over the North Korean regime. Analysts note that North Korea has been deepening military and economic ties with Russia, while also showcasing a new uranium enrichment plant and reiterating a “red line” on nuclear denuclearisation. During the talks, the leaders are expected to discuss the reopening of Chinese tourism to North Korea, joint border‑area projects and the inauguration of a new Yalu River bridge that has long lain unused. China remains North Korea’s main economic partner, accounting for over 90 % of its legal trade.

Deutsche Welle analysis adds that Xi’s trip aims to consolidate relations as Pyongyang leans toward Moscow, and to project China as the dominant power in the Indo‑Pacific region amid growing U.S. uncertainty.