North Korea denounces US arms transfers to Japan, Korea, Taiwan following Xi Jinping's North Korea visit

North Korea issued a series of statements condemning recent U.S. weapons sales to South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, describing them as "war exports" that heighten tensions across the Indo‑Pacific. The criticism highlighted a $300 million U.S. approval for advanced air‑to‑air missiles to South Korea and referred to Japan’s Tomahawk missiles and Taiwan’s HIMARS systems. These remarks followed President Xi Jinping’s two‑day visit to Pyongyang, his first in seven years, where China sought to reinforce its influence but omitted any reference to the long‑standing demand for a denuclearised Korean Peninsula.

Analysts say Kim Jong Un is leveraging the rivalry between the United States, China and Russia to extract diplomatic concessions, balancing ties with Beijing and Moscow while pressuring the U.S. The summit produced agreements on trade, agriculture and technology cooperation, yet the absence of denuclearisation language marked a notable shift in China’s stance toward North Korea.