Xi Jinping to make rare visit to North Korea as Beijing seeks to reassert influence over Kim

A rare trip to Pyongyang

Chinese President Xi Jinping will arrive in Pyongyang on June 8 for a two-day state visit at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. It will be Xi’s first trip to North Korea in nearly seven years, since his 2019 visit, and his first foreign travel of 2026. Before 2019, no Chinese leader had visited North Korea since 2005. The visit also coincides with the 65th anniversary of the two countries’ friendship treaty, which may be renewed.

The geopolitical backdrop

The trip comes just weeks after Xi hosted U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin for separate summits in Beijing. Trump has expressed openness to re-engaging Kim, whom he met three times in his first term. Xi’s meeting with Putin produced a joint call to reject “foreign pressure and sanctions” against Pyongyang. The Chinese leader seems intent on positioning Beijing as an indispensable diplomatic player on Korean Peninsula affairs.

The message implicit from the Chinese side is... we are still the principal actor when it comes to North Korea.

North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and Russia ties

Just before the visit, North Korean state media reported that Kim inspected a newly operational uranium enrichment facility and called for an “exponential” expansion of nuclear forces. Pyongyang has deepened military cooperation with Russia, sending troops and weapons for the war in Ukraine, while receiving technological assistance. This has raised concerns in Western capitals that Moscow has eclipsed Beijing’s influence. However, China remains North Korea’s dominant economic partner, accounting for up to 95 percent of total trade and 85 percent of exports, according to 2022 data cited by the National Committee on North Korea.

By choosing North Korea for his first foreign trip of 2026, Xi Jinping intends to counter 'the dominant analysis in Western capitals that Pyongyang has moved into Moscow’s orbit'.

China’s strategic objectives

Beijing wants to keep Pyongyang close as its historical ally, especially given the risk of a second front on the Korean peninsula if tensions over Taiwan escalate. Analysts note that while China has the longest-standing partnership with North Korea, Russia has recently been a more valuable partner for Kim.

China is stepping in so as not to be sidelined. They have the longest partnership with North Korea, but today Russia is a more important partner for Kim.

What to expect from the summit

The agenda is likely to cover economic cooperation, regional security, and possibly renewed mediation between Washington and Pyongyang over denuclearization. Passenger train services and flights between the two capitals resumed earlier this year after a long pandemic suspension, though tourism remains limited. Beijing’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Pyongyang in April and stressed the need to “enhance coordination” and “maintain close communication.” The two sides are expected to issue a joint statement.