China, North Korea eye benefits from leaders’ meeting

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit North Korea for the first time in almost seven years, a significant diplomatic engagement that provides North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a crucial platform to project an increasingly assertive foreign policy. The trip underscores Pyongyang's strategy of forging closer ties with its traditional Cold War allies. Beijing, North Korea's vital economic lifeline, is expected to reassert its influence over a government that has recently gravitated towards Russia.

The three-day visit, beginning Monday, marks the first direct encounter between the two leaders since Kim's trip to Beijing in September 2025. High-stakes discussions are expected to address a range of geopolitical and economic objectives for both nations. After prioritizing Russia, which has seen North Korea dispatching thousands of troops and munitions to support Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Kim is now seeking to strengthen ties with China. This move aims to further break out of international isolation, embrace the concept of a "new Cold War," and position Pyongyang as part of a united front against the U.S.

Historically, North Korea has maintained an "equidistance" policy between Beijing and Moscow to maximize gains from its two primary benefactors. While receiving crucial support from Russia for its war effort, likely including military technologies and aid, experts suggest Kim cannot fulfill his promise to elevate the living standards of his populace without substantial economic assistance from China. Koh Yu-hwan, a former president of Seoul’s Institute of National Unification, explained, “North Korea vows to maintain a self-reliant economic system and focus on advancing its nuclear capabilities, but in reality it’s nearly impossible to raise living standards by mobilizing internal resources alone.”

Potential discussions during the Kim-Xi meeting could include the resumption of Chinese tourism to North Korea and the opening of a bridge over the Yalu River, which has remained unused for years since its completion. The leaders may also explore joint economic development projects in the border regions shared by North Korea, China, and Russia. The visit also raises questions about whether Kim will leverage his enhanced diplomatic standing to re-engage with Washington. His previous talks with U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019 over disagreements regarding sanctions on North Korea. Pyongyang has since rebuffed offers from Trump to resume negotiations, insisting that Washington first abandon its demand for North Korea’s denuclearization as a precondition. Kim met Xi before his summits with Donald Trump in 2018 and 2019, moves widely interpreted as efforts to bolster his bargaining position.

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North Korea vows to maintain a self-reliant economic system and focus on advancing its nuclear capabilities, but in reality it’s nearly impossible to raise living standards by mobilizing internal resources alone.