Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in North Korea for his first official visit since 2019, marking a significant diplomatic engagement between Beijing and Pyongyang amid evolving global tensions.
Xi’s visit follows separate meetings earlier with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, underscoring China’s active diplomatic positioning among major global powers.
Key topics expected on the agenda include denuclearisation, relations with the United States, and ongoing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The visit comes as China seeks to strengthen its influence over North Korea, a strategically important but unpredictable ally that has recently deepened ties with Russia.
In the months leading up to Xi’s trip, China has intensified diplomatic engagement with Pyongyang.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited North Korea in April, marking his first trip there since 2019. During the visit, he met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and leader Kim Jong Un, where both sides discussed “international and regional issues,” according to China’s foreign ministry.
The renewed high-level exchanges reflect improving ties between the two countries after years of limited contact due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
China has also resumed key transportation links with North Korea. Earlier this year, its national carrier restarted direct flights to Pyongyang, while rail services between the two countries have also resumed.
Xi previously met Kim Jong Un on the sidelines of a military parade in Beijing last September. That engagement was followed by a visit to Beijing in February by North Korea’s foreign minister, and Wang Yi’s subsequent trip to Pyongyang in April.
Analysts say the latest visit highlights Beijing’s efforts to reassert diplomatic influence in the region at a time of heightened global rivalry and shifting alliances.
