SEOUL, June 8 (UPI) — Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in North Korea on Monday for a two-day state visit, his first trip to the isolated country in seven years, as Beijing and Pyongyang recalibrate ties amid a shifting geopolitical landscape.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un welcomed Xi and Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan at Pyongyang International Airport before hosting a lavish state reception that included a 21-gun salute, military honors and a mass rally at Kim Il Sung Square, according to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency.
Thousands of North Koreans lined the streets of Pyongyang waving flags, flowers and balloons as Xi traveled from the airport to the city center and later to the Kumsusan State Guesthouse, where he is staying during the visit.
China has long been North Korea’s largest trading partner, and international observers say it continues to help Pyongyang skirt punishing economic sanctions.
Ties had appeared to cool in recent years, however, as North Korea deepened military cooperation with Russia following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
In exchange for providing troops and munitions to Russia, North Korea is believed to be receiving economic support and advanced military technology for its weapons programs, reducing its dependence on China and giving Kim greater leverage in dealings with Beijing.
The relationship has shown signs of renewed momentum in recent months with several high-level exchanges. Kim traveled to Beijing in September for a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, where he held summit talks with Xi.
Ahead of his arrival, Xi published a signed article in Rodong Sinmun, the ruling Workers’ Party newspaper, calling China-North Korea relations “at a new historical starting point” and pledging to deepen strategic coordination between the longtime allies.
“Maintaining, consolidating and developing China-DPRK relations has always been an unwavering policy” of China, Xi wrote, using the official acronym for North Korea.
The Chinese leader emphasized the importance of closer cooperation between the ruling communist parties, governments and militaries of both countries as they mark the 65th anniversary of the China-North Korea Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance this year.
He also called for stronger coordination in international affairs, saying the two countries should oppose “hegemonism and power politics,” reject efforts to revive militarism and jointly safeguard what he described as international fairness and justice.
The visit comes amid questions about Beijing’s approach to North Korea’s growing nuclear arsenal.
China has historically supported the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, but the issue has become less prominent in official Chinese statements as its strategic competition with the United States has intensified.
After Xi met with U.S. President Donald Trump last month, the White House said the two leaders had reaffirmed their shared commitment to the denuclearization of North Korea. China’s Foreign Ministry, however, said only that the leaders had “exchanged views” on the Korean Peninsula.
Xi is scheduled to hold talks with Kim during the visit, although neither Beijing nor Pyongyang has publicly disclosed the agenda, including whether North Korea’s expanding nuclear weapons program will be discussed.
