China Announces Xi Jinping’s First Visit to North Korea Since 2019

Article excerpt

China announced Friday that Xi Jinping will visit North Korea next week, his first trip since 2019. The move signals Beijing's effort to strengthen ties with Pyongyang as North Korea deepens its relationship with Russia. The visit comes amid growing strategic competition between China and Russia for influence over Kim Jong Un's regime, with North Korea increasingly coordinating military activities with Moscow. Analysts view the trip as a reassertion of China's historical role as North Korea's primary patron and security guarantor.