Chinese leader Xi lands in North Korea for rare visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in North Korea on Monday, hailing an "invincible friendship" with Pyongyang in his first foreign trip of the year. The visit underscores the close ties between the two nations, with Xi accompanied by his wife, Peng Liyuan, and welcomed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol-ju.

“

invincible friendship

China has long been North Korea's primary trading partner and a crucial source of diplomatic and economic support, especially as Pyongyang faces extensive international sanctions. Xi's arrival, marked by military officers and children presenting flowers, comes after he hosted separate summits with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing. The visit also occurs while North Korea's nuclear negotiations with Washington remain deadlocked.

“

the nuclear weapons programme was “the line of no retreat”

While the White House previously stated that Xi and Trump shared a goal of denuclearizing North Korea, Kim's sister recently asserted that the country's nuclear weapons program is a "line of no retreat." South Korean President Lee Jae-myung commented that Seoul should not abandon efforts for denuclearization, noting that North Korea continues to produce nuclear materials.

“

North Korea is still producing nuclear material even at this very moment

Analysts suggest China may be shifting its strategy from pressuring North Korea to denuclearize towards ensuring regime stability. Professor Minseon Ku of DePaul University noted that Beijing likely views North Korea as a nuclear state and prioritizes stability, especially given current U.S.-China relations. Similarly, Seong-Hyon Lee of Harvard University's Asia Center believes China is focused on "underwriting regime durability" rather than coercion, as a stable, armed buffer state serves China's broader regional interests.

“

Beijing probably has accepted North Korea as a nuclear state