Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit North Korea next week, marking his first trip to the country in almost seven years. This visit follows the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s efforts to strengthen relations with China, which remains North Korea’s largest trading partner and key source of aid.
The announcement of Xi’s visit comes shortly after North Korea showcased a new facility purportedly designed for producing nuclear bomb materials, believed to be a uranium enrichment plant, although this has not been officially confirmed by North Korean authorities.
Xi’s forthcoming state visit, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday as reported by both Chinese and North Korean state media, reflects an ongoing commitment by China to solidify its relationship with its nuclear-capable neighbor. Xi’s last journey to North Korea took place in June 2019.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry remarked that this visit aims to enhance bilateral relations and promote regional peace and stability. According to spokesperson Mao Ning, the traditional friendship and cooperative dynamics between China and North Korea have been developing positively, yielding substantial benefits for both nations and their peoples.
This announcement comes just weeks after Xi hosted both U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in quick succession during events in Beijing. The United States has long been concerned about North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and has imposed economic sanctions in response to its missile and nuclear developments.
During a recent visit to the newly revealed facility, Kim Jong Un expressed intentions to significantly strengthen the nation’s nuclear capabilities, possibly aiming to assert North Korea’s status as a nuclear power ahead of Xi’s arrival. Since the breakdown of high-stakes negotiations with Trump in 2019, Kim has been focused on expanding his nuclear arsenal.
While Trump has shown interest in rekindling diplomatic talks with Kim, the North Korean leader insists that the U.S. must first abandon its demands for North Korea’s denuclearization as a prerequisite for any negotiations.
In their previous meeting in September in Beijing, Xi and Kim committed to mutual support and enhanced collaboration. Kim attended a military parade in the Chinese capital alongside other foreign dignitaries, including Putin.
Both Russia and China, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, have historically opposed efforts by the U.S. and others to impose stricter international sanctions on North Korea, despite its prohibited weapons tests. A statement from the Kremlin after Xi and Putin’s meeting in Beijing indicated their shared stance against “foreign policy isolation, economic sanctions, military pressure, and other threats to North Korea’s security.”
Embracing a “new Cold War” narrative and promoting a multipolar world, Kim has advocated for a more assertive foreign policy through strengthened relations with nations at odds with the United States. Xi’s visit to North Korea is a notable event, as he has significantly reduced his international travel following the COVID-19 pandemic, with his last overseas trip being to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit last year, where he met with Trump.
