Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed this Monday (8) their commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation during a summit in Pyongyang, Xi’s first visit to the country in seven years. The trip is seen as an attempt by Beijing to reinforce its influence over its socialist ally amid strategic competition with the United States and growing rapprochement between Pyongyang and Moscow.
Xi received a large-scale reception in the North Korean capital, with an official ceremony, a military honor guard and thousands of people gathered in the city’s main square. According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTVthe Chinese president defended the expansion of cooperation in areas such as trade, agriculture, construction and technology, in addition to strengthening strategic coordination to protect the sovereignty and security interests of the two countries.
Kim stated that the visit demonstrates the “unbreakable” nature of the relationship between North Korea and China and classified the deepening of bilateral ties as an “immutable strategic choice” by Pyongyang.
The trip has implications that go beyond the bilateral relationship. For Kwak Gil Sup, director of the One Korea Center think tank, Xi seeks to demonstrate China’s influence on the Korean Peninsula and reinforce its leadership role in Northeast Asia at a time of strategic competition with the United States. According to analysts, greater influence over Pyongyang could strengthen Beijing’s position in future negotiations with Washington.
China remains North Korea’s main economic partner and diplomatic supporter. Trade between the two countries returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2025, and this year direct flights and passenger rail services resumed.
In Kwak’s assessment, Xi may also offer new economic aid packages, including food, fertilizers, the resumption of Chinese tourism and joint projects. Leif-Eric Easley, professor at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, assesses that Beijing tends to avoid public pressure on North Korean denuclearization, keeping the issue only as a long-term objective, a position that interests Pyongyang.
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The meeting takes place amid the acceleration of the North Korean nuclear program. Last week, Kim inaugurated a new facility for producing nuclear materials and promised to expand the country’s atomic capabilities at an “exponential pace.” South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said that North Korea produces enough material for 10 to 20 nuclear bombs per year and is close to perfecting its intercontinental ballistic missile technology. Source: Associated Press.
