Xi Jinping Visits North Korea for Rare Summit with Kim Jong Un

Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first visit to North Korea in seven years, arriving in Pyongyang on June 8, 2026 for a two‑day summit with leader Kim Jong Un. The leaders were given an elaborate welcome, including a 21‑gun salute, flag‑lined avenues and joint portraits, and they met at the capital’s main square. Xi said the two countries should deepen strategic cooperation, safeguard sovereignty and security, and expand collaboration in trade, agriculture, construction, technology and people‑to‑people exchanges. Kim described the friendship as “unbreakable” and a “new era” of bilateral ties.

The visit follows Xi’s recent meetings in Beijing with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, underscoring China’s aim to reaffirm its unique influence over Pyongyang amid growing North Korean ties with Russia and ongoing U.S.–China competition in Northeast Asia. Analysts note that China may use the summit to leverage its relationship with North Korea in future U.S. talks, while also offering economic aid such as food shipments, tourism resumption and infrastructure projects. No concrete agenda was disclosed, but the summit is expected to influence regional security dynamics and the enforcement of UN sanctions on North Korea.