Xi Heads to Pyongyang as China Moves to Reassert Influence Over North Korea
Beijing- Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea next week for his first trip to the country since 2019, underscoring Beijing’s efforts to strengthen ties with its nuclear-armed neighbor amid Pyongyang’s growing relationship with Russia.
China and North Korea announced on Friday that Xi will make a state visit from Monday to Tuesday, where he is expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The visit comes as North Korea deepens military and political cooperation with Russia and a day after Pyongyang unveiled a new facility that South Korea’s military assessed as a uranium enrichment plant.Analysts say Beijing is seeking to reinforce its influence in North Korea as Kim expands ties with Moscow while continuing to advance his nuclear weapons program.
Xi and Kim last met in Beijing in September, where they pledged closer cooperation. China remains North Korea’s largest trading partner and key economic supporter despite international sanctions over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile activities.
The trip will be Xi’s first visit to North Korea in nearly seven years and highlights the strategic importance both countries place on maintaining close ties amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in Northeast Asia.
