Chinese President Xi Jinping Set for First North Korea Visit in Seven Years

Xi Jinping Set for First North Korea Visit Since 2019 as China Seeks to Reassert Influence

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea next week, marking his first trip to the country since 2019 and signalling Beijing’s intention to strengthen ties with one of its closest strategic partners amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in the region.

Chinese and North Korean state media announced on Friday that Xi will undertake a two-day state visit from Monday to Tuesday. The trip comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues to deepen cooperation with Russia, raising questions about China’s influence over its long-time ally.

Xi’s last visit to Pyongyang took place in June 2019, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted international diplomacy and significantly reduced his overseas travel schedule.

A Strategic Visit

The visit is widely being viewed as an effort by Beijing to reinforce its position in North Korea at a time when Pyongyang’s relationship with Moscow has grown considerably stronger.

Over the past few years, North Korea and Russia have expanded political, military and economic cooperation. Pyongyang has reportedly provided military support to Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine, while the two countries have strengthened diplomatic ties through a series of high-level engagements.

Analysts believe Xi’s trip is intended to ensure that China remains North Korea’s most important strategic partner despite Russia’s growing presence.

“As North Korea builds closer ties with Russia, China seeks to use Xi’s trip to reassert its influence over Pyongyang and safeguard its strategic interests in northeast Asia,” International Crisis Group analyst William Yang said.

At the same time, Kim has also sought to improve relations with Beijing. During a visit to China in September, the North Korean leader met Xi and pledged to deepen cooperation between the two countries.

• Nuclear Programme Back in Focus
• Xi’s visit comes at a sensitive moment for regional security.

Just a day before the announcement, North Korea unveiled a new facility believed to be involved in uranium enrichment, a key component in the production of nuclear weapons. South Korean military officials have assessed the site as a uranium enrichment plant.

During an inspection of the facility, Kim reportedly called for the country’s nuclear capabilities to be expanded at an “exponential rate”, underscoring Pyongyang’s continued commitment to strengthening its weapons programme.

Experts say the timing of the disclosure was unlikely to be coincidental and may have been intended to reinforce North Korea’s status as a nuclear power ahead of Xi’s arrival. North Korea has long argued that it deserves recognition as a nuclear weapons state and has repeatedly demanded the removal of international sanctions imposed over its nuclear and missile programmes.

China, Russia and North Korea Draw Closer

The visit also comes amid increasingly close coordination between China and Russia on issues related to North Korea.

Both Beijing and Moscow have opposed efforts by the United States and its allies to impose additional sanctions on Pyongyang. As permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China and Russia have used their influence to block attempts to further tighten international restrictions.

During talks in Beijing last month, Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin criticised what they described as policies of sanctions, pressure and isolation directed at North Korea. The two leaders reaffirmed their opposition to measures they believe threaten Pyongyang’s security, reflecting growing alignment among China, Russia and North Korea on key international issues.

Implications for the Region

North Korea’s nuclear programme remains one of the most significant security challenges facing the United States and its allies in East Asia. Although US President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in reviving diplomacy with Kim, North Korea has insisted that Washington abandon its demand for denuclearisation before meaningful talks can resume.

Against this backdrop, Xi’s visit is expected to be closely monitored by policymakers in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo. The trip could offer important clues about the future direction of China-North Korea relations and the broader balance of power in Northeast Asia.

For Beijing, the visit represents an opportunity to reaffirm a historic partnership. For Pyongyang, it provides another platform to demonstrate that despite international isolation, it continues to enjoy the support of some of the world’s most powerful nations.