Xi Jinping Arrives in North Korea, Meeting with Kim Jong Un Takes Centre Stage

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Monday (08/06) for a rare state visit, which observers believe aims to reaffirm China’s influence over North Korea while offering economic and political support to the nation. During this two-day visit, his first trip to North Korea in seven years, President Xi is scheduled to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. This marks their first meeting since September 2025, when they met in Beijing alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders.

Analysts suggest the meeting will have a significant impact on bilateral relations and regional dynamics, particularly as both China and North Korea face tensions with the United States. Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, South Korea, noted that the visit is not merely a routine schedule but carries profound implications for China-North Korea relations.

Regarding the influence on the Korean Peninsula, Xi’s visit follows a series of meetings with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing last month. Kwak Gil Sup, head of the One Korea Center, stated that these meetings aim to demonstrate China’s significant influence on the Korean Peninsula and assert its leadership in Northeast Asia amidst competition with the US. China remains North Korea’s primary economic supporter and most important diplomatic ally, with experts noting that Beijing often avoids enforcing UN sanctions against Pyongyang to ensure its neighbour’s survival.

Analysts believe that if Xi successfully restores China’s exclusive influence over North Korea, it could serve as vital leverage in his relations with Trump, who has repeatedly expressed a desire to revive US-North Korea diplomacy. North Korea continues to require Chinese support, as its recent focus has shifted towards cooperation with Russia, including supplying troops and weapons for the war in Ukraine in exchange for Moscow’s economic and military aid. Observers expect Xi Jinping to offer various economic aid packages, such as shipments of rice and fertiliser, the reopening of group tourism from China, and new bilateral economic cooperation projects.

While North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong recently asserted that their nuclear weapons programme is an