Xi Jinping to visit North Korea amid regional security recalibration
President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit North Korea from June 8 to 9, marking the first visit by a Chinese leader to the capital since 2005. The trip underscores Beijing’s efforts to stabilise its only formal treaty ally as Pyongyang deepens its strategic alignment with Russia and accelerates its nuclear capabilities.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit North Korea from June 8 to 9, following an invitation from leader Kim Jong Un, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The visit marks Xi’s first trip to Pyongyang in seven years and the first by any Chinese leader since 2005. The diplomatic engagement aims to shore up bilateral ties as North Korea significantly deepens its relationship with Russia, a shift that has altered the geopolitical landscape in East Asia.
The timing of the visit follows a period of intense high-level diplomacy for Beijing. Shortly before this trip, Xi hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which they discussed the ongoing war between the United States and Iran. Prior to that engagement, Xi welcomed US President Donald Trump to Beijing, where he declared the necessity for China and the US to operate as partners while warning against interference in Taiwan’s sovereignty. These interactions highlight China’s attempt to balance its strategic interests across major powers while maintaining its historic alliance with Pyongyang.
North Korea’s growing proximity to Moscow has been a defining feature of recent regional dynamics. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, relations between Moscow and Pyongyang have strengthened, leading to North Korean supplies of troops and weapons to the Russian cause. Kim Jong Un has actively sought to improve ties with China, his largest trading partner and primary provider of aid, after exchanges between the two nations were frozen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beijing remains North Korea’s crucial economic lifeline, accounting for up to 95 percent of its total trade and 85 percent of its exports, according to 2022 statistics from the Washington-based National Committee on North Korea.
A central concern for Beijing is North Korea’s rapid nuclear expansion. North Korean state news agency KCNA reported that Kim had called for an “exponential” expansion of the country’s nuclear arsenal. Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification told the AFP news agency that Beijing is monitoring the programme closely, noting that provocative actions could trigger regional conflict contrary to Chinese interests. Beijing’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi visited Pyongyang in April, urging enhanced coordination on international issues and maintaining close communication to manage these risks.
South Korea has expressed hope that Beijing can play a constructive role in ensuring regional peace and stability. The visit also follows Xi’s meeting with Kim in September last year at a military parade in Pyongyang marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over imperial Japan in the Second World War. While US President Donald Trump has expressed a desire to revive relations with Kim, the immediate focus remains on how China can influence Pyongyang’s alignment and nuclear trajectory to avoid broader instability.
