{"id":36178,"date":"2026-06-09T09:40:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T06:40:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=36178"},"modified":"2026-06-09T09:47:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T06:47:36","slug":"chinas-xi-jinping-visits-north-korea-vows-stronger-strategic-ties-with-pyongyang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/chinas-xi-jinping-visits-north-korea-vows-stronger-strategic-ties-with-pyongyang\/","title":{"rendered":"China’s Xi Jinping visits North Korea, vows stronger strategic ties with Pyongyang"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

7 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged unwavering support for Kim Jong Un and vowed to strengthen strategic ties between China and North Korea during a rare summit in Pyongyang on June 8, 2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xi’s two-day state visit, his first trip to North Korea in seven years and his first international visit of the year, comes as Pyongyang enjoys growing economic and military cooperation with Russia and increasing confidence on the international stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During talks with Kim, Xi said China would remain committed to safeguarding shared interests with North Korea and would continue supporting Kim’s leadership regardless of changes in the international environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to an official Chinese summary of the talks, Xi reaffirmed that China highly values its traditional friendship with North Korea and would not alter its support for the country’s leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The firm support for Comrade General Secretary Kim Jong Un’s leadership of the DPRK socialist cause will not change, and the firm determination to safeguard common interests and a good strategic environment will not change,” Xi said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Chinese<\/a>
Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walk past troops as Kim holds a welcome ceremony for Xi at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 8, 2026. (Image Credit: Xinhua\/via X)<\/sup><\/em>

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n


Grand Welcome in Pyongyang<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xi received an elaborate state welcome upon arriving in the North Korean capital. Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, greeted Xi and Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan on a red carpet at the airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chinese delegation included senior officials such as Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Defense Minister Dong Jun, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, and senior Communist Party official Cai Qi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The leaders then traveled through streets decorated with Chinese and North Korean flags before arriving at Kim Il Sung Square, where a large ceremony was held.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 21-gun salute was fired as military bands performed and children waved flags and released balloons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Large crowds gathered in the square beneath giant portraits of the two leaders while chanting slogans celebrating the friendship between the neighboring countries. Chinese state media described bilateral relations as standing at a “new historical starting point.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chinese President Xi Jinping told North Korean leader Kim Jung Un during their meeting, “I am deeply pleased and also feel a special sense of closeness.”<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Chinese<\/a>
Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watch a march-past as Kim holds a welcome ceremony for Xi at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 8, 2026. (Image Credit: Yin Bogu\/Xinhua\/via X)<\/sup><\/em>

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n


Expanding Cooperation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the summit, Xi called for deeper cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including diplomacy, law enforcement, military affairs, agriculture, trade, technology, and construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also emphasized the need to strengthen strategic coordination and firmly safeguard sovereignty, security, and development interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at a banquet hosted by Kim later in the evening, Xi said the two sides had reached “an important consensus” on strengthening bilateral ties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China also expressed its willingness to expand economic cooperation and increase people-to-people exchanges as transportation links continue to recover following disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this year, direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang resumed, while cross-border travel and trade have steadily increased after years of restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xi urged both countries to use the restored links as an opportunity to deepen exchanges between their populations and further strengthen the relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Chinese<\/a>
Chinese delegation led by President Xi Jinping meeting with North Korean delegation led by General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un at the Kumsusan State Guesthouse in Pyongyang, the DPRK, on June 8, 2026. (Image Credit: Xinhua\/Li Xiang)<\/sup><\/em>

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n


Shared Opposition to Western Influence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In comments published by North Korean state media, Xi called on both countries to oppose “hegemony, authoritarianism and all attempts and conspiracies to revive militarism that endanger regional security and stability.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The remarks highlighted the increasingly aligned positions of Beijing and Pyongyang on international issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xi also pledged to work with North Korea to promote what he described as fair and orderly multilateralism and inclusive economic globalization, while pursuing long-term peace and stability in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysts say the summit demonstrates China’s continued view of North Korea as an important strategic partner despite Pyongyang’s increasingly close ties with Moscow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Craig Singleton of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies described the meeting as a reminder that Beijing still considers North Korea a valuable strategic asset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to analysts, China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran share interests in countering U.S. influence and challenging existing alliance structures in various regions.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Chinese<\/a>
Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un at the Kumsusan State Guesthouse in Pyongyang, the DPRK, on June 8, 2026. (Image Credit: Xinhua\/Xie Huanchi)<\/sup><\/em>

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n


North Korea’s Growing Confidence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The visit comes as North Korea finds itself in a stronger position than during Xi’s previous visit in 2019. Over the past several years, Pyongyang has significantly expanded its ties with Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Western officials and analysts say North Korea has provided military support to Moscow during the Ukraine conflict, while receiving economic assistance, military technology, and other benefits in return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The country’s economy has also shown signs of recovery following the severe disruption caused by pandemic-era border closures and international sanctions. Tourism, trade, and transportation links with both China and Russia have increased, helping improve economic conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysts say these developments have strengthened Kim’s confidence in dealing with both regional and global powers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Delury of the Asia Society noted that Xi’s visit is taking place under very different circumstances compared to his previous trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, other observers argue that Kim is hosting the Chinese leader from a position of greater strength than in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Xi,<\/a>
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and heads of foreign delegations arrive for the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in Beijing, China, on September 3, 2025. (Image Credit: Sputnik)<\/sup><\/em>

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n


Nuclear Program Remains Central<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The summit also comes amid the continued expansion of North Korea’s military capabilities. On the eve of Xi’s arrival, Pyongyang unveiled plans for a new 10,000-ton naval destroyer and reaffirmed its status as a nuclear-armed state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, North Korea is estimated to possess around 60 nuclear warheads, up from approximately 50 a year earlier. The institute also assesses that the country continues producing fissile material at a rate sufficient for additional nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent weeks, Kim has visited both a munitions production facility and a nuclear material facility, signaling that North Korea has no intention of slowing its weapons development programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysts believe Beijing is unlikely to pressure Pyongyang to reduce its nuclear arsenal, particularly at a time when China seeks to maintain influence over North Korea and prevent it from moving even closer to Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The summit coincides with the 65th anniversary of the mutual defense treaty signed by China and North Korea in 1961, a pact that remains the only formal mutual defense treaty ever concluded by Beijing.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"North<\/a>
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a test of “Hwasong-16Na” intermediate-range ballistic missile. (Image Credit: KCNA)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The high-profile meeting and the warm public displays in Pyongyang underscore the continued strategic importance of China-North Korea relations as both countries seek closer cooperation amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in East Asia and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged unwavering support for Kim Jong Un and vowed to strengthen strategic ties between China and North Korea during a rare summit in Pyongyang on June 8, 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36188,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[124,1],"tags":[137,380,45,134,408,5,31,96,108,71,20,113,296],"class_list":["post-36178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-pacific","category-news","tag-asia","tag-asia-pacific","tag-china","tag-economy","tag-korean-peninsula","tag-military","tag-missile","tag-north-korea","tag-nuclear","tag-politics","tag-russia","tag-security","tag-trade"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/China-Xi-North-Korea-Kim.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-9pw","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36178"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36178\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36196,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36178\/revisions\/36196"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}