Xi Jinping will travel to Pyongyang next week for talks with Kim Jong Un, state media confirmed on Monday, marking the Chinese leader's first visit to North Korea in over a decade. The closely watched summit underscores Beijing's efforts to reassert its role as the isolated state's primary patron amid stalled denuclearisation talks and rising tensions with Washington.
The meeting, scheduled for June 20-21, comes at a delicate moment. North Korea has ramped up weapons tests in recent months, while negotiations between Pyongyang and the United States have collapsed since the Hanoi summit in February. Analysts say Xi's visit is designed to shore up support for Kim and signal that China remains the key player on the Korean peninsula.
"China is stepping in to fill the vacuum left by the failure of US-DPRK diplomacy," said Dr. Li Ming, a professor of international relations at Peking University. "By sending Xi to Pyongyang, Beijing is reminding Washington that it cannot be sidelined on issues affecting its doorstep."
For Kim, the visit offers a much-needed economic lifeline. China accounted for 91% of North Korea's trade in 2018, according to South Korean data, and sustained international sanctions have battered the North's economy. Xi is expected to pledge new investment and aid, possibly including a deal to expand cross-border infrastructure.
But the trip also carries risks for Beijing. Xi's embrace of Kim could strain relations with Washington and Seoul, who have urged China to do more to enforce sanctions. The US State Department said on Monday it "expects all UN member states to fully implement sanctions," though a spokesperson declined to comment directly on the visit.
In Beijing, officials framed the summit as a routine exchange between socialist neighbours. "China and the DPRK have a traditional friendship," foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told reporters. "Comrade Xi's visit will promote peace and stability on the peninsula."
The last Chinese leader to visit North Korea was Hu Jintao in 2005. Xi's itinerary includes a wreath-laying ceremony at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il lie in state, and a mass performance in the capital's May Day Stadium. The visit will end with a state banquet hosted by Kim.
For ordinary North Koreans, the summit may bring little immediate relief. Many face chronic food shortages and power outages. But the regime is likely to use Xi's presence as a propaganda tool, showcasing the alliance as proof that Kim's nuclear programme has not isolated the country.
"This is about regime survival," said Rachel Lee, a North Korea specialist at the Sejong Institute in Seoul. "The Kim family has always relied on Chinese support to weather crises. Xi's visit tells the world that North Korea still has a powerful backer."
The trip also coincides with growing trade tensions between China and the US, which have escalated into a full-blown tariff war. By demonstrating influence over Pyongyang, Xi may be seeking leverage in negotiations with Washington, analysts said.
"China wants to show the US that it can be a constructive partner on North Korea, but also that it has cards to play," said Mr. Li. "If Washington wants peace on the peninsula, it will have to deal with Beijing."
Xi last met Kim in March in Beijing, their fourth encounter in less than a year. Since then, North Korea has fired multiple short-range missiles and tested a new submarine-launched ballistic missile system. The US has dismissed the tests as provocations but stopped short of cancelling planned military exercises with Seoul.
The summit will be Xi's first foreign trip since a state visit to Russia in 2018. It also comes ahead of a planned meeting between Trump and Xi at the G20 summit in Osaka later this month, where North Korea is expected to top the agenda.
