After a seven-year break, China's leader Xi Jinping made a state visit to North Korea on 8-9 June 2026. A gathering with Kim Jong Un, full of momentum and declaration of “unbreakable friendship”, took place in the shadow of the Beijing-Pjongjang-Moscow geopolitical triangle. However, the most crucial point of the summit was what was completely silenced – the question of the North Korean atomic programme.
Four Pillars of Relation by Xi
Xi's visit to Pjongjang – his first abroad journey in 2026 – coincides with the 65th anniversary of the signing of the Chinese-North Korean treaty on friendship, cooperation and common assistance. During talks at the Kumsusan State Guest House, the Chinese leader presented 4 main points of improvement of bilateral relations, as quoted by the state press agency Xinhua:
1. Strengthen political trust by maintaining close strategical communication at the highest level and expanding exchanges between the Communist organization of China and the Labour organization of Korea. Xi stressed the request for cooperation in the areas of diplomacy, law enforcement and - what is crucial - military activity.
2. Increase the level of economical cooperation, including trade, agriculture, construction, discipline and technology and wellness care. A full reopening of border crossing points and resumption of civilian and global rail flights was announced.
3. Strengthening human ties based on “traditional relationship established by blood” during the Korean War. Plans include joint care of monuments of Chinese soldiers and exchanges in the fields of education, tourism and sport.
4. Enrich strategical coordination in consequence to global challenges, with emphasis on defending the sovereignty, safety and improvement interests of both countries in the Asia region.
Kim Jong Un rematched, calling Xi “the nation's most respected guest”, and the relation with China called “the unchanging strategical choice” and the highest precedence of Pjongjangu.
Pronunciation
For analysts, the most crucial aspect of the summit was the full deficiency of public references to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
A fewer years ago, Beijing, though reluctantly, collaborated with Washington within the UN safety Council, imposing sanctions on Pyongyang for atomic and rocket tests. Currently, as Leif-Eric Easley notes, a prof. from Ewha Womens University in Seoul, “the implementation of UN safety Council Resolutions and the enforcement of sanctions does not seem to be a precedence for China.”
The omission of this issue by Xi is simply a clear signal that in the face of fierce rivalry with the US, China de facto accepts the position of North Korea as a atomic state. “Chinese officials have accepted the position of not speaking publically about the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, keeping it only as a long-term goal. Kim seems to want Xi to accept North Korea as a atomic neighbor," Easley adds.
A confirmation of this thesis is the words of Kim's sister Kim Jo Jong, who just a day before the summit called the American force to denucleate “an escapist and anachronistic dream”.
Two contexts: Moscow and Seoul
Xi's visit to Pjongjangu besides has an crucial dimension in relation to Moscow. In fresh years, in the face of the war in Ukraine, North Korea has importantly strengthened its cooperation with Russia, providing her with weapons and ammunition in exchange for economical and military aid.
It can be assumed that Xi's journey is an effort to “recollect” Kim, who is the main and most powerful ally of Pyongyang. As Kwak Gil Sup, Head of 1 Korea Center, notes, “North Korea cannot trust solely on Russia. He must ally with China." Beijing fears that Kim's excessive rapprochement with Putin could destabilize the region or drag China into undesirable conflicts, which is why Xi strives to keep Pjongjangu in its influence orbit, which besides gives him a bargaining card in relations with Washington.
In this context, peculiar attention is paid to the composition of the Chinese delegation. Unlike the 2019 visit, Xi Jinping was accompanied by the Dong Jun national defence minister this time. The presence of the head of the Defence Ministry, coupled with the Xi Declaration on the request to strengthen the military exchange, caused concern in Seoul. The South Korean Ministry for Unification indicated that “it was the first known case in which the subject was raised publicly” at this level, and announced careful monitoring of the situation.
A visit from 8-9 June 2026 perpetuates a fresh strategy of forces in the region. China and North Korea consolidate their alliance by putting aside the issue of atomic disarmament and the precedence is the common front against what both states call “American hegemony”. This – especially in the context of American actions, i.e. for example, the transfer from South Korea of the “Patriot” launchers and missiles to the mediate East, puts Seoul in a new, very complex situation.
Source:
- Sinocism: https://sinocism.com/p/xi-in-north-korea-li-qiang-on-future
- Spectrum News: https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/northern-ky/international/2026/06/08/xi-jingping-kim-china-north-korea-summit-closely-watched-asia-greater-ties-hopes
- The Japan Times: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/06/09/asia-pacific/politics/north-korea-china-xi-kim-nukes-analysis/
- Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/8/chinas-xi-jinping-arrives-in-north-korea-on-rare-state-visit
- The Korea Times: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/foreignaffairs/northkorea/20260609/unification-ministery-takes-note-of-xis-call-for-expanded-military-ties-with-pyongyang
Leszek B. Glass
Email: [email protected]
