Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in North Korea on Monday for a rare summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, declaring that relations between the two countries have reached a “new historical starting point” as Beijing seeks to strengthen ties with its isolated neighbour.
Xi received a lavish welcome in Pyongyang, where Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, greeted him on a red carpet alongside a guard of honour. Children presented bouquets of flowers while a military band played the national anthems of both countries at Kim Il Sung Square.
A 21-gun salute was fired during the ceremony as crowds waving flags and carrying banners lined the square and major avenues of the North Korean capital.
Ahead of the two-day visit, Xi said China remained committed to deepening relations with North Korea and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors.
“We must oppose hegemony, authoritarianism and all attempts and conspiracies to revive militarism that endanger regional security and stability,” Xi wrote in North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper.
Xi also pledged to work with Pyongyang to promote what he described as fair multilateralism and inclusive economic globalisation, while maintaining regional peace and stability.
The summit is Xi’s first visit to North Korea in seven years and his first foreign trip of the year. Analysts say the meeting highlights Beijing’s efforts to reinforce its relationship with Pyongyang as North Korea strengthens economic and military ties with Russia.
“The Xi-Kim summit is a reminder that Beijing still sees Pyongyang as a strategic asset,” said Craig Singleton, a senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
He said China, North Korea, Russia and Iran share an interest in limiting US influence and challenging Washington’s alliances.
Xi is expected to hold talks with Kim on regional security, economic cooperation and bilateral relations. His delegation includes First Lady Peng Liyuan, senior Communist Party official Cai Qi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The visit comes as exchanges between China and North Korea continue to increase following years of restrictions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. Border crossings have resumed, and Air China restored flights between Beijing and Pyongyang in March.
John Delury, a senior fellow at the Asia Society, said the visit reflects China’s desire to preserve long-standing ties with North Korea despite changing geopolitical realities.
“His visit is about keeping the tradition alive in very different conditions than his last trip,” Delury said.
The summit also takes place as North Korea seeks to project military strength. On the eve of Xi’s arrival, Pyongyang unveiled plans for a 10,000-ton naval destroyer and reaffirmed its status as a nuclear-armed state.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, North Korea’s nuclear arsenal has grown to about 60 warheads, up from an estimated 50 a year ago. The institute said the country is also increasing production of fissile material, potentially enough for at least 30 additional warheads.
Sydney Seiler of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said stronger ties with both Russia and China could influence North Korea’s willingness to engage with the United States and South Korea.
“The sustainability of improved North Korea-Russia and increasing North Korea-China relations may influence just how long Kim can continue to ignore Washington and Seoul,” he said.Faridah Abdulkadiri
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