Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing on Tuesday after a rare two-day trip to North Korea, where he met with leader Kim Jong Un in a summit aimed at reestablishing the strategic alliance between the two countries. Xi flew to Pyongyang on Monday for his first visit in seven years, a move experts say was intended to restore China's exclusive influence over North Korea, whose foreign policy has increasingly shifted toward Russia in recent years.
During their summit, Xi expressed China's willingness to expand cooperation in trade, agriculture, construction, and technology, while Kim emphasized that the friendship between the two nations would remain "the most important top-priority strategic work," according to state media reports from both countries. The leaders also visited a North Korea-China friendship tower honoring Chinese soldiers who fought alongside North Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War, stressing the importance of carrying forward their traditional friendship and spirit of resistance against the United States.
Xi and Kim, who last met in Beijing in September, toured a ruling Workers' Party training school and planted a fir tree symbolizing bilateral ties. Xi later attended a luncheon and farewell ceremony before departing for Beijing.
The summit focused heavily on cooperation but notably avoided any mention of North Korea's nuclear program, a sensitive security issue in the region. During Xi's 2019 trip to Pyongyang, he had expressed Beijing's willingness to play a constructive role in denuclearization.
However, by omitting the issue this time, China may be signaling a tacit acceptance of North Korea's potential status as a nuclear state, according to Ban Kil Joo, an assistant professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul.
In a strategic give-and-take, North Korea reaffirmed its support for China's "one-China" policy regarding Taiwan. Kim Gyubeom, an analyst at the Institute for National Security Strategy in Seoul, said China appears to be pursuing a "managerial approach" that neither fully supports nor strongly pressures Pyongyang, while maintaining strategic communication and prioritizing regional stability.
Restoring exclusive influence over North Korea would give Xi leverage in dealings with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed a desire to restart diplomacy with Kim.
The visit comes amid questions about China's influence over North Korea, as the North has focused on supporting Russia's war efforts by sending troops and weapons in exchange for economic and other assistance.