Chinese President Xi Jinping to Visit North Korea Next Week for First Time Since 2019

Jun 5, 2026

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.