North Korea, China elevate ties to 'strategic partnership' in Xi-Kim summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in Pyongyang for a summit, agreeing to elevate their bilateral relationship to a "strategic partnership" and fully restore economic exchanges. The meeting, Xi's first visit to Pyongyang in seven years, focused on strengthening cooperation in a new international order, with both leaders emphasizing the importance of their alliance. Xi stated his desire to "continuously develop China-North Korea relations to a new level" through close strategic communication and by strengthening the alignment of development strategies. He specifically called for expanding people-to-people exchanges by fully reopening border crossings and resuming civilian air and international passenger train services. This signals a significant expansion of economic cooperation beyond previous levels of Chinese aid. The leaders also highlighted the need to enhance exchanges in diplomacy, law enforcement, and military affairs. Kim echoed this sentiment, calling the development of North Korea-China relations the nation's "most important strategic undertaking."

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We want to maintain close strategic communication and continuously develop China-North Korea relations to a new level.

Notably absent from the summit's discussions and official reports was any mention of North Korea's denuclearization or inter-Korean relations. This stands in stark contrast to Xi's 2019 visit, where North Korea and the Korean Peninsula were mentioned multiple times. Analysts interpret this omission as a sign that denuclearization is no longer a priority for China and that Beijing is effectively acknowledging North Korea's status as a nuclear power. Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, described this as a clear signal that China's approach has shifted from being a mediator for North Korea-U.S. denuclearization talks to a "closely allied strategic partner for structural containment of the United States."

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Developing North Korea-China relations is the nation's most important strategic undertaking.

During his visit, Xi also penned an article in the Rodong Sinmun, the North Korean ruling party's newspaper, emphasizing the need for both countries to jointly defend their national sovereignty, security, and development interests. He called for opposing "hegemonism and power politics" and "all ambitions and acts that seek to revive militarism and endanger regional security and stability," advocating instead for the "multipolarization of the world and economic globalization." This framing positions the North Korea-China relationship as a key component of the international order, particularly in the context of U.S.-China competition and potential cooperation among North Korea, China, and Russia. Xi's call for multipolarization directly challenges U.S. hegemony, while his opposition to reviving militarism is seen as a veiled reference to Japan's rearmament.

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We must firmly support each other in defending national sovereignty and security, and jointly safeguard the post-war international order.