Chinese President Xi Jinping will make a state visit to North Korea on June 8-9. Analysts say the visit could expand economic cooperation between the two countries while further solidifying the close trilateral alignment among North Korea, China, and Russia.
North Korea's Korean Central News Agency and China's Xinhua News Agency both reported Xi's visit plans Thursday. Xi will visit North Korea on June 8-9, holding a summit with State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un and carrying out other official engagements.
It marks Xi's first visit to North Korea in seven years, since 2019. The trip is seen as a return visit for Kim's trip to China last September on the occasion of Victory Day, while also carrying significance as a commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the China-North Korea Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance, signed on July 11 of this year.
Experts believe the summit will mark the start of substantive cooperation between the two countries. Key agenda items reportedly include economic cooperation measures such as resuming logistics networks and expanding group tourism. Kim Dong-yup, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, said, "China may seek to pull North Korea's diplomatic coordinates, which have leaned toward the North Korea-Russia relationship, back toward China." Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) noted, "China and North Korea are cautiously moving to restore relations after a prolonged disconnect due to the pandemic and China's concerns over North Korea-Russia military cooperation."
The Presidential Office said, "We hope that exchanges between North Korea and China proceed in a direction that contributes to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," adding, "We expect China to continue playing a constructive role on Korean Peninsula issues."
