China and North Korea reaffirm strategic alliance as premier visits Beijing, Xi and Kim exchange messages on treaty anniversary

To mark the 65th anniversary of their 1961 friendship treaty, North Korean Premier Pak Thae Song visited Beijing on July 10, 2026, while leaders Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un exchanged messages pledging deeper strategic cooperation. The rare visit highlights the enduring alliance, which serves as a vital buffer for China against US regional presence. However, the relationship faces new dynamics as North Korea deepens its military partnership with Russia and the US strengthens trilateral ties with Seoul and Tokyo.

China-North Korea treaty anniversary visit

• ▪Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un exchanged messages reaffirming their commitment to strategic cooperation on the 65th anniversary of their friendship treaty
• ▪North Korean Premier Pak Thae Song led a delegation to Beijing on July 10, 2026, for a multi-day visit to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the China-North Korea friendship treaty
• ▪The visit by Pak Thae Song marks the first time in eight years that a North Korean premier has traveled to China

Strategic buffer against US presence

• ▪China serves as North Korea's largest trading partner, providing a vital economic lifeline while balancing its support with past adherence to United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang's nuclear program
• ▪China views North Korea as a strategic buffer to prevent a potential collapse that could send refugees across their 1,400km border and lead to a unified Korean Peninsula aligned with Washington

North Korea-Russia partnership growth

• ▪Deepening military and political cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang provides North Korea with leverage and resources, while raising concerns in Beijing over potential loss of influence and regional instability
• ▪North Korea and Russia signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty in 2024, which includes a mutual defense provision

US-South Korea-Japan military cooperation

• ▪South Korea continues to host tens of thousands of American troops, which China views as part of a US-led effort to contain its regional influence
• ▪The United States, South Korea, and Japan are reinforcing military cooperation, regularly conducting joint exercises and sharing intelligence to confront shared regional challenges

Evolution of bilateral alliance

• ▪The Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, signed on July 11, 1961, remains China's only formal military alliance and contains a mutual defense clause
• ▪China has increasingly muted its public criticism of North Korea's nuclear and missile tests, with President Xi Jinping avoiding the mention of nuclear weapons during his recent visit to Pyongyang