Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Monday for his first visit to North Korea since 2019, according to state news agency Xinhua. The trip marks his first international journey this year after hosting summits with US and Russian leaders.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol-ju greeted Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan at the airport. Military officers lined a red carpet, and children presented flowers to the visitors. Banners proclaimed the “unbreakable friendship” between the two nations.

During talks, Xi expressed China’s willingness to expand cooperation in trade, agriculture, construction, and technology. He stressed the need to strengthen strategic cooperation and safeguard sovereignty and security interests. “I am deeply pleased and feel a special sense of closeness,” Xi reportedly told Kim.

Kim said Xi’s visit “clearly demonstrates how unbreakable” the North Korea-China relationship is. He added that consolidating a new era of friendship is North Korea’s “unchanging strategic choice.”

The visit comes as nuclear talks between North Korea and the US remain at an impasse. A day before Xi’s arrival, Kim’s sister Kim Yo Jong stated that the nuclear weapons program is “the line of no retreat.”

Pyongyang has been expanding ties with Moscow, supplying troops and weapons for Russia’s war in Ukraine in exchange for economic and military aid. Analysts suggest that if Xi can restore exclusive Chinese influence over North Korea, it would give him leverage in dealings with the US regime.

Source: www.dw.com