Xi Jinping Heads to Pyongyang After 7 Years... China Reasserts Influence Amid Growing North Korea-Russia Ties

State Visit Spanning Two Days, Mirroring 2019
Talks with Kim Jong Un to Address Korean Peninsula Affairs

Chinese President Xi Jinping will make a state visit to North Korea from June 8 to 9. This will be President Xi's first visit to North Korea in seven years, since June 2019.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) shake hands before their meeting. Photo by Reuters, United Press International

According to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters on June 5, China and North Korea have announced that President Xi will visit North Korea for two days starting June 8. During his visit, President Xi is expected to hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and discuss bilateral relations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

This visit, like President Xi's first trip to North Korea in 2019, will be a one-night, two-day itinerary. At that time, President Xi held a summit with Kim Jong Un and attended a banquet on the day of his arrival in Pyongyang. The following day, he visited the Friendship Tower and had lunch before returning to China.

Diplomatic observers interpret the short itinerary as an emphasis on coordinating core agenda items between the two leaders, rather than focusing on ceremonial or friendly events. In particular, analysts note that, as North Korea strengthens its military and diplomatic cooperation with Russia, China's main objective is to reaffirm its influence over North Korea.

Reuters reported that this visit is taking place as part of China's efforts to restore the weakened exchanges between Beijing and Pyongyang since the COVID-19 pandemic, and to regain influence over North Korea, which has grown closer to Russia. The Associated Press also analyzed that China is seeking to reaffirm its influence over North Korea and protect its strategic interests in Northeast Asia.

North Korea has recently reiterated its commitment to expanding its nuclear capabilities. Kim Jong Un recently inspected nuclear material production facilities and stated his intention to strengthen the country's nuclear forces both qualitatively and quantitatively. Accordingly, much attention is being paid to how President Xi will address the issue of North Korea's denuclearization during the upcoming summit between the two countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.