Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Monday, June 8, for a two-day state visit, marking his first summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in seven years, according to China's Xinhua news agency.
The trip comes amid heightened contacts between Pyongyang and Moscow, as well as recent diplomatic engagements between Beijing and major world powers. Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan were personally greeted at Sunan International Airport by Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju, after which the leaders proceeded to Kim Il Sung Square for an official welcome ceremony.
According to South Korea's Yonhap, the talks—set to begin on the first day—will focus on regional security on the Korean Peninsula, development of bilateral economic ties, and coordination among Pyongyang, Beijing, and Moscow. Xi's delegation includes Cai Qi, director of the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
For Beijing, this visit—Xi's first overseas trip in 2026—is an opportunity to reaffirm its strategic influence in the region following his recent bilateral summits with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The diplomatic context is further underscored by the 65th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between China and North Korea. In a signed article published on the front page of North Korea's Rodong Sinmun, Xi stated that bilateral relations are at a "new historical starting point" and emphasized Beijing's commitment to developing ties regardless of changes in the international situation. He also called on Pyongyang to jointly promote a multipolar world order and defend the UN-centered international system.
However, the summit is taking place amid tough defense rhetoric from North Korea. On the eve of the Chinese delegation's arrival, Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong declared the country's nuclear status "absolutely irreversible," and last week Kim inspected a new nuclear material production facility, ordering an exponential increase in the national arsenal. Xi last visited Pyongyang in June 2019, while the two leaders' previous face-to-face meeting occurred in September last year in Beijing, where they attended a military parade alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Source: podrobno.uz