Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, landed at Pyongyang International Airport on Monday, beginning a two-day state visit to North Korea. The trip marks one of the rare foreign tours by the Chinese leader in recent years and his first to the country since 2019.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju welcomed Xi at the airport with a full ceremony featuring a 21-gun salute and military band performances of both nations' anthems. Later, on the main square of the capital, festive crowds in holiday attire—including many children holding flags, flowers, and balloons—greeted the Chinese leader. Buildings were adorned with the national flags of both countries.
During the visit, Xi Jinping is expected to hold a summit with Kim Jong Un. The two leaders previously met in Beijing a year ago, when China hosted a major military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender to the Allies, ending World War II.
In an editorial published ahead of the trip, Xi stressed that Beijing-Pyongyang relations are at a "new historical starting point, facing new development opportunities." He reaffirmed that maintaining, consolidating, and advancing bilateral ties remains "a steadfast policy" of the Chinese Communist Party.
According to a 2022 estimate by the U.S.-based National Committee on North Korea (a nonprofit organization), North Korea once relied on China for 95% of its trade volume. However, the landscape has shifted since Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine in 2022, with Pyongyang supplying Moscow with crucial weapons, ammunition, and manpower.
Analysts suggest that China is seeking to reassert its influence over North Korea to prevent it from leaning too heavily toward Moscow and gaining access to new military technology. Xi's goal, experts say, is to signal China's leadership in Northeast Asia amid strategic competition with the United States. Analysts predict Xi may propose economic aid packages—including rice and fertilizer—resume package tours from China to North Korea, and revive joint economic projects.
