China-North Korea Rapprochement
Chinese President Xi Jinping to Make Rare Visit to North Korea, Meet Kim Jong Un
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Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea on June 8–9 for a two-day state visit with Kim Jong Un, CNN reports — his first trip to Pyongyang in seven years. The visit comes just weeks after Xi hosted both U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, positioning China as the central power broker in a fast-shifting global order.
The trip was jointly announced on June 5 by Chinese state media outlet Xinhua and North Korean state media KCNA. It lands just days after North Korea unveiled a new nuclear fuel enrichment facility on June 4, with Kim Jong Un vowing to grow his country's nuclear forces "at an exponential rate," according to Associated Press.
Xi's First Pyongyang Trip in Seven Years
Xi last visited North Korea in June 2019. The relationship went cold during the COVID-19 pandemic when Pyongyang shut its borders. Ties began warming again in September 2025, when Kim Jong Un attended China's 80th-anniversary Victory Day parade in Beijing, according to the Lowy Institute. The June 8 visit also falls just days before June 11 — the 65th anniversary of the China-North Korea Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance, China's only formal military alliance.
Preparations in Pyongyang began weeks before the official announcement. On May 30, satellite images detected a large reviewing stand being built at Kim Il Sung Square and aircraft movements at Sunan International Airport, The Straits Times reported. Chinese security and protocol teams were spotted in Pyongyang as early as May 21.
A Power Triangle: Trump, Putin, and Now Kim
Xi's Pyongyang trip is the third major summit in less than a month. He hosted Trump on May 14–15, where the two discussed the "Korean Peninsula issue" without a joint plan. Then on May 20, Xi hosted Putin. The two signed a joint statement opposing "military pressure" against North Korea, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
Analysts say Putin's deepening ties with Kim pushed Xi to act. Russia has grown closer to North Korea through weapons deals and economic support. "By placing Pyongyang at the apex of his 2026 travel calendar, Xi signals that Beijing is the indispensable partner for North Korea," the Lowy Institute wrote. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on May 16 that he raised North Korea with Xi but gave no details.
Trade Is Booming, but Nuclear Tensions Are Rising
China already accounts for roughly 95% of North Korea's legitimate trade, according to Deutsche Welle. That dependence is growing. China-North Korea trade hit $326 million in April 2026 alone — the highest monthly total since late 2017 — with Chinese exports up 19% in early 2026, per the Institute for the Study of War. Talks are expected to cover official trade expansion and the planned New Yalu River Bridge, set to open by late 2026.
At the same time, North Korea is pushing forward on nuclear weapons. Experts estimate the country now holds about 50 nuclear warheads, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Analysts at the Brookings Institution suggest China may be quietly shifting away from pushing for denuclearization. Instead, Beijing may be focusing on "risk management" — accepting North Korea as a nuclear state to avoid a regime collapse next door.
South Korea Watches Closely, North Koreans Feel Uneasy
South Korea's government said it hopes China will play a "constructive role" in denuclearization and that the visit contributes to "peace and stability" on the peninsula, Yonhap reported. The U.S. has not issued a formal response. Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War warn that a tighter China-Russia-North Korea alignment "emboldens Pyongyang," making Kim more confident that the West will not retaliate against his nuclear buildup.
Inside North Korea, the mood is mixed. Daily NK reports "hope and anxiety" among border residents. Many welcome the prospect of more trade and lower food prices. But traders who rely on semi-legal cross-border commerce fear Xi's talks with Trump could lead to new Chinese crackdowns on smuggling — the informal economy many North Koreans depend on to survive.
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