FILE – On this picture offered by the North Korean authorities, North Korean chief Kim Jong Un, left, shakes arms with Chinese language President Xi Jinping in Beijing Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025.
朝鮮通信社/KCNA through KNS through AP
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朝鮮通信社/KCNA through KNS through AP
SEOUL, South Korea — Chinese language President Xi Jinping and North Korean chief Kim Jong Un underscored their dedication to deepen cooperation in a intently watched summit on Monday, as Xi made a uncommon go to to Pyongyang in a possible try and reassert Beijing’s distinctive affect over its socialist neighbor.
It is Xi’s first go to to North Korea in seven years. Earlier Monday, he was given a lavish welcome upon arrival at Pyongyang’s worldwide airport. He and his spouse Peng Liyuan have been greeted by Kim and his spouse Ri Sol Ju, who broadly smiled and clapped.
Xi later arrived at Pyongyang’s most important sq., the place a army honor guard and 1000’s of individuals, together with kids carrying balloons and hopping, staged a welcoming ceremony. Buildings surrounding the plaza have been draped within the two international locations’ flags, large portraits of Kim and Xi and red-and-yellow banners welcoming the Chinese language chief and celebrating the nations’ “friendship and unity.”
Xi and Kim specific their hopes for better ties
In a summit later Monday, Xi expressed China’s willingness to increase cooperation in a variety of areas together with commerce, agriculture, development and know-how, China’s state broadcaster CCTV mentioned in a web-based report.
Xi mentioned the 2 international locations ought to strengthen strategic cooperation and firmly safeguard their respective sovereignty and safety pursuits, in line with the report.
Kim mentioned Xi’s go to “clearly demonstrates how unbreakable” the North Korean-China relationship is, CCTV mentioned. It cited Kim as saying that consolidating a brand new period of friendship between the 2 international locations is the “unchanging strategic alternative” of North Korea.
Full particulars of the assembly weren’t obtainable. However overseas consultants earlier predicted the assembly would have huge ramifications on bilateral ties and past, as they each search to totally restore their conventional alliance within the face of separate confrontations with the U.S.
Xi and Kim final met in Beijing in September, after viewing a army parade alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and different overseas leaders.
Sway over North Korea might assist Xi’s dealings with US
Xi’s journey comes after his back-to-back summits with U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin in Beijing final month. Xi is anticipated to satisfy Trump once more on a deliberate U.S. go to in September.
Xi will attempt to show China’s “sway over the Korean Peninsula” and “a management function in total Northeast Asia within the age of strategic competitors with the U.S.,” mentioned Kwak Gil Sup, the pinnacle of One Korea Heart, a web site specializing in North Korea affairs.
China has lengthy been North Korea’s financial lifeline and most important diplomatic backer. Consultants say China has averted totally implementing U.N. sanctions on North Korea and despatched clandestine help to assist its impoverished neighbor keep afloat. This yr marks 65 years for the reason that two international locations signed a mutual protection treaty.
However there have been questions on their ties lately, with North Korea prioritizing cooperation with Russia by supplying troops and weapons to help its conflict towards Ukraine. In return, North Korea has acquired financial and army help from Russia.
Restoring an unique affect over North Korea would give Xi a leverage in dealings with Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his want to restart diplomacy with Kim, consultants say.
“Implementing U.N. Safety Council resolutions and implementing sanctions don’t look like priorities for China,” mentioned Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha Womans College in Seoul.
A two-way commerce quantity between China and North Korea final yr recovered to pre-pandemic ranges. Earlier this yr, the international locations additionally resumed direct flights and passenger trains, stalled for the reason that pandemic. Xi mentioned Monday that each nations ought to use the reopening of flight and practice companies as an opportunity to increase people-to-people exchanges.
A avenue is embellished with the flags of China and North Korea in Pyongyang, on Monday, June 8, 2026.
Jon Chol Jin/AP
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Jon Chol Jin/AP
Kim wants Xi’s help for his push for nuclear state
Xi would seemingly supply Kim financial help packages comparable to shipments of rice and fertilizers, a resumption of Chinese language group tourism to North Korea. and joint financial initiatives, analysts mentioned.
“North Korea cannot solely depend on Russia. It must align with China,” Kwak mentioned.
Xi might additionally chorus from urgent Kim on the difficulty of denuclearization of North Korea, and vaguely talk about peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. That may be important for Kim, who’s determined to win worldwide recognition as a nuclear weapons state as a option to name for lifting of U.N. sanctions on North Korea.
“Chinese language officers have taken the place of not talking publicly about denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula whereas nonetheless sustaining it as a long-term aim. Kim seems to need Xi to simply accept North Korea as a nuclear neighbor,” Easley mentioned.
After final month’s summit between Trump and Xi, the White Home mentioned the 2 leaders confirmed their shared aim to denuclearize North Korea. However China solely mentioned the leaders mentioned the nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula. On Sunday, Kim’s sister and senior official, Kim Yo Jong, echoed her brother, dismissed as an “anachronistic dream” a U.S. push for the denuclearization of North Korea.
Final week, Kim unveiled a brand new plant to provide nuclear elements and vowed to bolster the nation’s nuclear forces “at an exponential charge.” He additionally noticed sea trials of a brand new naval destroyer and referred to as for rushing up efforts to construct a nuclear-armed navy.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung instructed reporters Monday that North Korea is producing sufficient nuclear elements yearly for about 10-20 bombs and is near perfecting intercontinental ballistic missile know-how. Lee mentioned the world should first deal with convincing North Korea to freeze its nuclear supplies manufacturing and ICBM program as a short-term aim.
Kim Jong Un has targeted on enlarging and modernizing his nuclear arsenal since his high-stakes diplomacy with Trump collapsed in 2019. The North Korean chief mentioned in September that he nonetheless had “good private recollections” of Trump however urged the U.S. to withdraw its demand for North Korea to denuclearize as a precondition for resuming diplomacy.
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