Xi Jinping visits North Korea, reinforcing China‑North Korea partnership

Chinese President Xi Jinping made a two‑day state visit to Pyongyang on 8‑9 June 2026, his first trip to North Korea since 2019 and the first foreign‑leader visit to the country in seven years. The visit coincided with a wave of high‑level diplomatic activity in Beijing, following trips by U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

During the talks, Xi and North Korean leader Kim Jong‑un did not raise the Korean Peninsula’s denuclearisation issue. Instead, they highlighted the 65‑year anniversary of the China‑North Korea Treaty of Friendship, Mutual Aid and Cooperation, and outlined four areas of cooperation: expanding high‑level exchanges, deepening economic and trade links, strengthening cultural and people‑to‑people ties, and enhancing strategic coordination. Xi announced plans to open ten border trade zones and resume civilian transport links, noting that bilateral trade in the first quarter of 2026 rose 14.3 % year‑on‑year and reached about US$326 million in April, the highest since 2017.

The visit underscores China’s aim to maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula, manage the refugee‑flow risk, and balance its role amid shifting regional alignments, while also hinting at possible easing of sanctions enforcement through increased border commerce.