PYONGYANG: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in North Korea on Monday, declaring an “invincible friendship” with Pyongyang as he began his first overseas trip of the year and held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
State media footage showed Xi being welcomed at the airport by Kim and his wife Ri Sol-ju, with military officials lining a red carpet and children presenting flowers. A banner at the venue hailed the “unbreakable friendship” between China and North Korea.
The visit marks Xi’s first trip to Pyongyang since 2019 and comes after he hosted separate summits in Beijing with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The trip also takes place amid stalled nuclear negotiations between North Korea and the United States.
China remains North Korea’s largest trading partner and a key political and economic supporter, despite extensive international sanctions on Pyongyang.
In a front-page article published in North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun, Xi pledged to deepen bilateral cooperation, writing that ties between the two countries remain “invincible” regardless of global developments.
The visit comes as North Korea continues to expand its nuclear programme and reiterates its status as an “irreversible” nuclear state. Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, said on the eve of Xi’s arrival that Pyongyang would not reverse its nuclear policy.
The White House previously stated that Xi and Trump had reaffirmed a shared objective of denuclearising North Korea during recent talks in Beijing. However, diplomatic progress remains stalled following the collapse of earlier U.S.–North Korea negotiations in 2019.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said North Korea continues to produce nuclear material, warning that denuclearisation efforts should not be abandoned.
Analysts say China is increasingly prioritising regional stability over pressure for denuclearisation. Some experts suggest Beijing may now accept North Korea as a de facto nuclear state while focusing on maintaining influence and preventing instability on its border.
The visit also comes amid growing Russian-North Korean cooperation linked to the war in Ukraine, raising concerns in Western capitals about shifting power dynamics in the region.
Observers say China’s outreach to Pyongyang may be aimed at reinforcing its strategic influence as North Korea deepens ties with Russia and continues its nuclear expansion.
North Korea remains the only country with an official military alliance with China, underscoring the strategic importance of the relationship in East Asian geopolitics.