Overview
- Xi Jinping completed a high-profile two-day state visit to Pyongyang on June 8–9, 2026, receiving full state honors from Kim Jong Un and publishing an article in Rodong Sinmun calling the relationship 'invencible'.
- Chinese and North Korean readouts said the leaders agreed to deepen cooperation across diplomacy, security and the economy while making no joint commitment to denuclearization.
- The visit was timed with the 65th anniversary of the 1961 treaty between the two countries and followed steps to restore transport and flight links that resumed trade and travel after pandemic closures.
- North Korean state media has shown recent inspections of munitions, a new plant for nuclear material and plans to expand nuclear forces, and China and Russia have in recent years blocked or muted tougher UN sanctions on Pyongyang.
- Analysts say the trip aims to blunt growing Russia–North Korea ties, keep China central to peninsula diplomacy and could make Beijing more likely to prioritize stability and economic leverage over pushing for rapid nuclear disarmament.