When Xi Jinping last visited North Korea, the world was different. It was 2019. Nearly seven years passed before the Chinese leader returned to Pyongyang. On Monday, June 8, 2026, he finally arrived.
Xi stepped off his plane to a grand welcome. Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, waited on the tarmac. North Korean children gave flowers to Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, a famous Chinese singer. Crowds of workers and schoolchildren waved flags, flowers and balloons. It was the kind of reception reserved for a country's most important friend.
China is North Korea's largest trading partner and most important economic partner. The two countries are connected by the 1961 Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, which includes a mutual-defense clause. This year marks the treaty's 65th anniversary.
However, the warm welcome hides a deeper concern. Since 2023 and 2024, North Korea has strengthened its ties with Russia during the war in Ukraine. North Korea has reportedly supplied Russia with weapons and troops. This has worried Beijing about losing influence over Pyongyang.
During talks with Kim, Xi said the two countries should strengthen their relationship and increase cooperation in trade, agriculture, health care, construction, and science and technology. He offered practical help rather than grand promises. The visit shows China trying to keep an important ally close as the world becomes more complicated.