China's President Xi Jinping is set to travel to Pyongyang for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The trip, confirmed by sources in Beijing and Seoul, marks the first visit by a Chinese leader to the hermit kingdom in over a decade. The move comes amid stalled denuclearisation talks between the US and North Korea, and shortly after Donald Trump's meeting with Kim in Vietnam collapsed.
Since the failure of the Hanoi summit in February, where Trump walked away from a deal over sanctions relief, North Korea has shifted its focus back to China. Earlier this month, Kim made a surprise trip to Vladivostok for talks with Vladimir Putin, signalling a pivot away from US engagement. Now, Xi's visit solidifies that repositioning.
The timing is critical. China is trying to present itself as a responsible player in the Korean peninsula peace process, but also wants to prevent a collapse of the Kim regime, which shares a long border with China. The summit, expected later this week, will likely focus on economic cooperation and security guarantees.
Documents obtained from Beijing indicate that China is preparing a multi-billion dollar aid package for the North Korean economy. This is part of a broader strategy to ensure stability on China's eastern flank, but also to pre-empt any sudden collapse or refugee crisis that might destabilise the region.
The visit is not without risk. International observers are watching to see if Xi will push Kim towards concrete denuclearisation steps or simply provide a lifeline that allows North Korea to stay defiant. "Xi needs to show he can influence Kim, but Kim is not a puppet," a former US diplomat told me. "This could be a classic case of China trying to have it both ways."
The summit is likely to produce a joint statement emphasising friendship and strategic cooperation, but behind closed doors, the discussions will be tough. China wants de-escalation, while North Korea wants the lifting of sanctions. Whether Xi can deliver remains uncertain.
For now, the stage is set for a high stakes game of nuclear diplomacy, with the world watching to see if Beijing can do what Washington could not.
