Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea next week, state media announced on Friday, as Beijing continues to assert its position as a global diplomatic superpower. State broadcaster CCTV reported that Xi will travel to Pyongyang from 8 to 9 June, after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un extended the invitation for this strategic visit. This journey marks Xi’s first trip to the country in seven years. Furthermore, this serves as his first official overseas travel this year.
Recently, Xi hosted back-to-back summits with US President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Therefore, this upcoming meeting highlights China’s expanding international role. “China is meeting leaders from around the world, coordinating positions and playing a mediating role,” said Lim Eul-chul, a North Korea expert at South Korea’s Kyungnam University. He added that Beijing wants to draw Pyongyang into its diplomatic orbit to advance a multilateral order.
Managing Regional Stability and Russian Ties
Beijing provides vital political and economic support to North Korea. Currently, international sanctions heavily isolate Pyongyang. However, North Korea has recently drawn closer to Russia. Pyongyang even sent thousands of troops to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine. In return, Russia provides financial aid and military technology to the nation.
Xi’s choice of Pyongyang counters Western narratives. Seong-Hyon Lee from the George H. W. Bush Foundation for US-China Relations shared his insight. He stated that the trip acts as “a deliberate visual rebuttal to the prevailing read in Western capitals that Pyongyang had quietly migrated into Moscow’s orbit.”
Additionally, China wants to manage North Korea’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification emphasized this strategic point. He warned, “If North Korea acts in a provocative and belligerent manner, it could trigger regional conflict, which could run counter to China’s interests.” Meanwhile, South Korea’s foreign ministry expressed hope that the visit will contribute to regional peace and stability.
