Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea next week for his first visit to the country in nearly seven years, as Beijing looks to strengthen ties with its nuclear-armed neighbour amid shifting regional dynamics.
Chinese and North Korean state media announced on Friday that Xi will undertake a state visit from Monday to Tuesday. His last trip to Pyongyang was in June 2019.
The visit comes at a sensitive time, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un deepening relations with Russia while also seeking to improve ties with China, the country’s largest trading partner and a key source of economic support.
Analysts believe Beijing is keen to maintain its influence in Pyongyang as North Korea’s engagement with Moscow expands. News agency Associated Press mentioned William Yang of the International Crisis Group as saying that China is likely using Xi’s visit to reaffirm its strategic interests in Northeast Asia and reassert its role in North Korea.
The trip was announced a day after North Korea unveiled a new facility believed to be linked to the production of material for nuclear weapons. During a visit to the site, Kim vowed to strengthen North Korea’s nuclear forces at an “exponential rate”, signalling that Pyongyang remains committed to expanding its weapons programme.
Experts say the timing of the disclosure may have been intended to reinforce North Korea’s position as a nuclear weapons state prior to Xi’s arrival.
North Korea’s nuclear programme remains a major concern for the United States, which continues to push for denuclearisation. However, Kim has insisted that Washington must drop that demand as a precondition for future talks.
Xi and Kim last met in Beijing in September, where both leaders pledged deeper cooperation and mutual support.