Xi Jinping will visit North Korea on June 8–9

Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay an official state visit to North Korea on June 8–9. This will be the Chinese leader’s first visit to the DPRK in seven years. It is expected that during the visit, the parties will discuss issues of bilateral cooperation and current international topics.

During the trip, the Chinese leader will hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Details of the visit’s itinerary have not yet been disclosed. This will be Xi Jinping’s first visit to North Korea since 2019. It may also be his first foreign trip in 2026.

Incidentally, both U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin visited China in May.

At first glance, the successive visits to Beijing by U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin looked almost identical: official handshakes in Tiananmen Square, an honor guard, and children waving flags. However, these meetings demonstrated China’s radically different approaches to relations with the two countries.

During Trump’s three-day visit, Beijing sought to stabilize strained ties, while Putin’s two-day trip was aimed at strengthening a long-term strategic alliance.