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🇸🇬 Singapore /Conflict & Security

North Korea gives Xi Jinping a lavish welcome at a pivotal juncture for two allies

From The Straits Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

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  • Chinese leader Xi Jinping received a lavish welcome during his two-day visit to North Korea, his first in seven years.
  • The visit occurs at a critical time, with China seeking to bolster its influence and counterbalance North Korea's growing ties with Russia.
  • Both nations pledged to strengthen their alliance, commemorating a treaty with plans for a broader strategic front against the US and its allies.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping received a grand reception in Pyongyang during his first visit to North Korea in seven years, underscoring a pivotal moment for the two closely allied nations. Greeted by counterpart Kim Jong Un, Xi was welcomed with a large, choreographed display of loyalty in Kim Il Sung Square, a spectacle typically reserved for top foreign dignitaries.

The visit comes as China aims to reassert its influence over North Korea, its largest trading partner and closest ally. Beijing seeks to counterbalance Kim Jong Un's recent drift towards Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose support has strengthened Kim's position. Despite this, Kim remains reliant on Beijing for crucial economic aid and diplomatic backing, seeking recognition as a nuclear power and a partner in building a "multipolar" world order opposed to American dominance.

Xi described the trip as an opportunity to enhance coordination between Beijing and Pyongyang. China views North Korea as a vital buffer against U.S. influence in Northeast Asia. The two nations, bound by a 1961 alliance treaty, pledged to commemorate its 65th anniversary in 2026 by forging a broader strategic front against Washington and its allies.

Historically, the relationship between China and North Korea has seen periods of tension and distrust. Tensions surfaced when China developed trade ties with South Korea post-Cold War, while North Korea conducted nuclear tests, leading Beijing to join U.S.-led sanctions. Xi's previous lack of a visit to Pyongyang denied Kim the prestige of hosting his most powerful neighbor. However, the dynamic shifted with Kim's summits with President Donald Trump, prompting Xi to meet Kim to maintain Pyongyang's alignment with China. Pandemic-era ties cooled, but Kim's increasing alignment with Moscow has compelled Beijing to re-engage North Korea.

Xi cast the visit as an opportunity to strengthen coordination between Beijing and Pyongyang, according to Chinese state media.

— Chinese state mediaChinese state media reported on Xi Jinping's stated goals for his visit to North Korea.
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Originally published by The Straits Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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