Xi Jinping to Visit North Korea for the First Time Since 2019

China has announced that President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea next week, marking his first trip there since 2019. This visit seems aimed at reinforcing Beijing’s relationship with Pyongyang, especially as North Korea has been leaning more towards Russia recently.

According to state media outlet Xinhua, Xi is expected to engage with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un during a two-day state visit that starts next Monday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stated, “The visit will be an opportunity for the two sides to work together to further advance bilateral ties in keeping with the times, promote the welfare of the two peoples, and contribute more to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and beyond.”

She added, “This year marks the 65th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the PRC (People’s Republic of China) and the DPRK.”

This treaty, dating back to 1961, represents China’s only formal defense agreement. It was established less than a decade after Chinese forces fought alongside North Korea during the Korean War.

Despite the threat of the treaty expiring in 2021 due to pandemic-related border closures, Xi and Kim renewed it for another 20 years, signifying their strong mutual support against “hostile forces.”

The timing of this trip is particularly interesting, as it comes right after North Korea unveiled a new facility believed to be for uranium enrichment, raising nuclear capabilities. Kim stated that the nation would boost its nuclear forces “at an exponential rate” during his visit to the facility.

Experts speculate this announcement could be a strategic move to strengthen Kim’s position as a nuclear power before Xi arrives.

Ultimately, this visit offers Xi a chance to recalibrate China’s influence and demonstrate Beijing’s strength in a time of global uncertainty.

“As North Korea builds closer ties with Russia, China seeks to use Xi’s trip to reassert its influence over Pyongyang and safeguard its strategic interests in northeast Asia,” remarked William Yang, an analyst at the International Crisis Group.

In recent years, the relationship between Beijing and Pyongyang has cooled, driven in part by North Korea’s strict COVID-19 isolation measures and its increasing alignment with Moscow, which has even involved sending thousands of North Korean troops to support Russia in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.