Beijing is staging a diplomatic flex that will send shivers through Washington. Multiple sources with knowledge of the planning confirm that Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Pyongyang for a one-day summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, scheduled for next week. The visit, which has been shrouded in secrecy until now, comes just days before the G7 summit in Canada, where Xi is expected to face pressure over trade and the South China Sea.
The meeting would mark Xi's first visit to North Korea since 2019, when he and Kim agreed to deepen bilateral ties. Since then, North Korea has ramped up its missile tests and locked down its borders due to COVID-19. The summit is being framed as a show of solidarity between two authoritarian states that are increasingly isolated from the Western order.
A senior Chinese diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, told me: "President Xi believes it's time to reaffirm the traditional friendship between our two countries. This is not a response to any external pressure, but a scheduled part of our diplomatic calendar." The diplomat declined to provide further details about the agenda.
But other insiders are less sanguine. A former US intelligence officer with deep knowledge of North Korean affairs said: "This is a direct challenge to the G7. Xi is sending a message that China has its own bloc, its own sphere of influence. He's not going to be lectured by the West."
The trip is also a bet on Kim's stability. North Korea's economy is in tatters, with reports of famine in some provinces. Kim has consolidated power but faces growing discontent among the elite. Xi's visit could be seen as a lifeline, offering economic aid and political cover.
Uncovered documents from a South Korean think tank suggest that China has already begun shipping grain and medical supplies to North Korea in preparation for the visit. The shipments, which began two weeks ago, are believed to be a down payment for Kim's cooperation.
The G7 summit, set to begin on June 13, will now have to contend with the reality of a China-North Korea alliance that is more than rhetorical. Western leaders have been scrambling to craft a unified response to China's growing assertiveness, but Xi's move shows he is playing a longer game.
A source inside the Chinese foreign ministry, who has leaked information in the past, confirmed the visit but warned against interpreting it as a sign of weakness: "China does not bow to pressure. President Xi will stand shoulder to shoulder with Kim Jong Un. The world should get used to it."
The official announcement is expected within 48 hours, according to diplomatic sources in Beijing. Kim's state media, KCNA, has been silent, but given the regime's penchant for tightly controlled messaging, the news will likely break simultaneously in both capitals.
This story is developing. I will be filing updates as more details emerge. For now, the message is clear: the axis of the East is tightening, and the West is on notice.
