Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that ties between China and North Korea have reached a "new historical starting point," according to remarks published in North Korean state media as he arrived in Pyongyang for a rare summit with leader Kim Jong Un.
Xi's Message in Rodong Sinmun
In an article published in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper ahead of his visit, Xi emphasized that China's policy toward North Korea is unwavering and that both countries will strengthen exchanges in all areas. The visit is significant as it marks Xi's first international trip this year.
"We must oppose hegemony, authoritarianism and all attempts and conspiracies to revive militarism that endanger regional security and stability," Xi added, as Beijing looks to draw Pyongyang closer.
Warm Welcome in Pyongyang
Xi arrived in Pyongyang to a red-carpet welcome from Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju, alongside a guard of honor while children presented bouquets, Chinese state media showed. A military band played both national anthems in a ceremony at the capital's Kim Il Sung Square, the site of past military parades and state celebrations. A 21-gun salute was fired as spectators dwarfed by huge portraits of the leaders chanted slogans and released colorful balloons, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Talks and Strategic Significance
Xi is expected to hold talks with Kim during the two-day visit, his first in seven years to China's reclusive neighbor. The timing is notable as North Korea's economy, strengthened by growing trade and military ties to Russia, could boost Kim's confidence in negotiations.
"The Xi-Kim summit is a reminder that Beijing still sees Pyongyang as a strategic asset," said Craig Singleton, a senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He added that the neighbors, along with Russia and Iran, share an interest in blunting U.S. power and straining its alliances.
Xi also pledged to work with North Korea to promote fair and orderly multilateralism and inclusive economic globalization to benefit the world, adding that long-term regional peace and stability were the common pursuit of both nations.
"His visit is about keeping the tradition alive in very different conditions than his last trip," John Delury, a senior fellow of the Asia Society, said in a post on X.
Preparations and Context
Flags of both countries lined the main avenues of the North Korean capital, as shown in a video issued by Xinhua. Xi is accompanied on the state visit by his wife Peng Liyuan, de facto chief of staff Cai Qi, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. He hosted Kim and other leaders last year at a massive military parade in Beijing, alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since then, Pyongyang has resumed crossings at the Chinese border and stepped up exchanges frozen during the COVID-19 pandemic, while Air China restored flights between the capitals in March.
"The sustainability of improved North Korea-Russia and increasing North Korea-China relations may influence just how long Kim can continue to ignore Washington and Seoul," said Sydney Seiler of Washington's Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
On the eve of Xi's arrival, Pyongyang sought to flex its strength by unveiling plans for a 10,000-ton naval destroyer and reaffirming its status as a nuclear-armed state.
