Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea on June 8-9 for the first time since 2019, a move analysts see as an effort to reassert influence as Pyongyang deepens ties with Russia. The trip follows North Korea's unveiling of a new uranium enrichment facility and leader Kim Jong Un's call to "exponentially" expand his nuclear arsenal, while diplomacy with the U.S. remains stalled since 2019.
Xi Jinping North Korea visit
- ▪The trip will be Xi Jinping's first to North Korea in nearly seven years, with his last visit occurring in June 2019
- ▪The visit follows Xi Jinping's recent summits in Beijing with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin
- ▪Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea on June 8-9, 2026, at the invitation of Kim Jong Un
China reasserting Pyongyang influence
- ▪Analysts suggest China seeks to reassert its influence over Pyongyang as North Korea strengthens its ties with Russia
- ▪South Korea hopes Xi Jinping will act as a mediator to encourage North Korea to resume dialogue with Seoul and Washington
- ▪China is North Korea's only formal treaty ally, bound by a defense pact that guarantees mutual support if either is attacked
- ▪North Korea depends on China for up to 95% of its total trade and 85% of its exports, per 2022 data from the National Committee on North Korea
- ▪Since December 2024, Kim Jong Un has ended reunification efforts with South Korea, calling it a "sworn enemy" and cutting all communication
North Korea uranium enrichment facility
- ▪South Korea's military has assessed the new North Korean facility as a uranium enrichment plant
- ▪The visit's announcement came one day after North Korea unveiled a new facility to produce materials for nuclear bombs
Kim Jong Un nuclear expansion
- ▪North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for an "exponential" expansion of the country's nuclear arsenal
- ▪Experts believe Kim Jong Un seeks international recognition as a nuclear state to demand the lifting of UN sanctions
Trump denuclearization talks
- ▪High-stakes nuclear diplomacy between North Korea and the U.S. collapsed in 2019
- ▪Former US President Donald Trump has expressed a desire to restore diplomacy with Kim Jong Un
- ▪Kim Jong Un has demanded the U.S. drop its precondition of denuclearization before any talks can resume
China-Russia Security Council coordination
- ▪China and Russia, both veto-wielding UN Security Council members, have previously blocked efforts to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea
- ▪North Korea has supplied Russia with troops and conventional weapons to support its war in Ukraine
- ▪At a recent meeting in Beijing, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping expressed opposition to sanctions and military pressure against North Korea
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