Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit North Korea in a significant diplomatic move aimed at strengthening relations with Pyongyang. The trip will be Xi’s first visit to North Korea in seven years and follows his last meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in 2019. Before that, no Chinese leader had visited the country since 2005.
The visit comes as China works to deepen engagement with its only formal treaty ally after years of limited exchanges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. North Korea has also sought to improve ties with China, its largest trading partner and a major source of economic assistance.
The development follows Xi’s recent meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. While North Korea has expanded cooperation with Russia in recent years, China remains its most important economic and political partner, accounting for the vast majority of the country’s trade.
Beijing is also closely monitoring North Korea’s rapidly advancing nuclear programme after Kim recently called for a major expansion of the country’s nuclear arsenal. Analysts say China hopes to maintain regional stability and prevent actions that could increase tensions in East Asia.
