Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea for a two-day state visit from June 8 to June 9, the first in about seven years, at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un [1, 2, 3]. The visit will commemorate the 65th anniversary of the China-North Korea Friendship Treaty and aims to reaffirm traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries [2, 4, 5].
Xi and Kim have maintained close strategic communication over recent years, meeting multiple times since 2018, despite this being Xi’s first in-person visit to Pyongyang since 2019 [4, 5]. The visit follows summit meetings that Xi held in May in Beijing with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, making the North Korea trip his first foreign trip of 2026 [6, 7, 8].
China remains North Korea’s primary trading partner, accounting for about 95% of the country’s trade. However, Pyongyang has bolstered military and economic ties with Russia since 2022, including sending troops to Ukraine and receiving oil, food, and weapons technology in return [6, 7, 8]. The visit is widely seen as Xi’s effort to reassert China’s influence as North Korea grows closer to Moscow [6, 7, 8].
Chinese diplomatic officials described the visit as "important" and "historic," with Chinese Ambassador Wang Yajun saying Xi will hold an important historic meeting with Kim to chart new directions for China-North Korea relations in the new era [4]. Xi himself emphasized in a signed article published in North Korean media that "China-North Korea traditional friendship will remain unbreakable despite international uncertainties" [5].
South Korea expressed hope that China would play a constructive role on the Korean Peninsula during the visit. A South Korean Foreign Ministry official said they look forward to China helping address issues on the peninsula [2]. Former U.S. official Kurt Campbell noted Xi was signaling closer ties with authoritarian partners than Trump had with democratic allies [6].
There is speculation that Xi may urge Kim to engage with the United States on denuclearization talks, but Kim has maintained a firm stance against negotiations conditioned on denuclearization [6].
The visit follows Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s April meeting with Kim in Pyongyang, during which Kim said China-North Korea relations had reached new heights [1]. Xi’s visit is scheduled to reinforce bilateral relations and contribute to regional peace and stability [4].
