Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit North Korea on 8-9 June, marking his first foreign trip this year after the leaders of the US and Russia have already visited China.
China's Xinhua News Agency reported that President Xi Jinping will make an official visit to North Korea from 8 to 9 June at the invitation of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un. China's CCTV stated that this will be Xi Jinping's first overseas trip in 2026.
This trip comes after Xi Jinping recently held talks with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing last May.
This development has drawn close attention, following weeks of reports and images showing Chinese delegations traveling to Pyongyang, sparking speculation about the upcoming visit.
Analysts suggest that the Chinese leader's trip to North Korea may signal Beijing’s intent to reaffirm and adjust its influence and strategic role over North Korea and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Xi Jinping's last visit to North Korea was in 2019, during which he met Kim Jong-un and was received with full military honors.
Meanwhile, Kim Jong-un recently visited China in September to attend a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, where he also met with Xi Jinping.
This new visit is viewed as another significant sign of the China-North Korea relationship amid the influence competition among major powers China, the US, and Russia in East Asia.
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