Was Kim Jong-un the Real Winner From Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Visit to North Korea?

Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent visit to North Korea has been interpreted by analysts as a major boost to Kim Jong-un's international profile, effectively securing him a "big strategic win." The trip underscored the enduring economic and cultural connections between the two nations, a reinforcement that comes as Pyongyang has deepened its military ties with Russia.

This visit marked Xi's first foreign trip of the year and followed closely on the heels of his meetings with US and Russian counterparts, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Relations between China and North Korea had experienced a cooling period, particularly after Pyongyang sealed its borders during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently strengthened its military alliance with Russia.

However, Patricia Kim, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, suggests that North Korea is now strategically positioned to benefit from the "implicit rivalry" between Beijing and Moscow for regional influence. She stated that Pyongyang is emerging as the "biggest winner" in this dynamic. The fact that neither China nor Russia is actively pressuring North Korea to return to denuclearization negotiations represents a significant strategic advantage for Kim Jong-un, according to Kim.

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The fact that neither Beijing nor Moscow is pressuring Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table or to commit to denuclearisation is a big strategic win for Kim Jong-un.