TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The President of China, Xi Jinping, is scheduled to meet with the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, during his important visit to Pyongyang. This comes as both sides seek to improve relations, according to the spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mao Ning, on Sunday, June 7, 2026, as reported by Anadolu and cited by Antara.
The two-day state visit beginning on Monday, June 8, 2026, marks Xi's first trip to North Korea in the last seven years, at the invitation of Kim.
It will also be Xi's first foreign trip this year, aimed at deepening relations, promoting development, and contributing to "peace, stability, development, and prosperity in the region and the world in general."
The Chinese leader last visited North Korea in 2019. He became the first Chinese president in 14 years to travel to the country.
The 72-year-old man also visited Pyongyang in 2008 when he served as vice president. At that time, Xi met with Kim Jong Il, the leader of North Korea.
Xi and Kim last met in September when Kim attended a Chinese military parade in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of China's Victory Day.
Xi's visit comes amid changing regional dynamics, including the strengthening of relations between Pyongyang and Moscow through the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement signed in 2024, which includes a commitment to joint defense.
Last month, Xi hosted US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing for separate visits, almost consecutively.
The White House said after the visits that Xi and Trump reaffirmed their joint goal of denuclearizing North Korea. Beijing has not revealed the details of the discussions but said that China is working on its own way towards a "political resolution" of the nuclear issue.
Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of the North Korean leader, said on Sunday that the country's status as a nuclear-armed state "cannot be changed at all." She emphasized that North Korea's nuclear weapons program "cannot be negotiated," rejecting international efforts aimed at denuclearization.
Xi Jinping's statement comes a few days after Kim Jong-un vowed to expand North Korea's nuclear capabilities "at an unprecedented rate" and emphasized that the country's nuclear status "cannot be changed."
Xi's visit has sparked speculation about whether he aims to act as a mediator between Trump and Kim Jong-un.
China remains North Korea's most important economic partner. Trade between the two increased to US$2.79 billion (Rp50.4 trillion) last year, the highest since the coronavirus pandemic and approaching pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Passenger train services between the two countries resumed in March, marking the end of a six-year suspension due to the pandemic. This was followed by the resumption of direct flights by Air China between the capitals.
This year marks the 65th anniversary of the China-North Korea Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance. This is the only defense pact China has with any country.
North Korea's economy is estimated to have grown by 3.7 percent in 2024, the largest expansion in the past eight years, according to data from the South Korean central bank. The growth was driven by stronger exports and progress in the construction and manufacturing sectors.
Read: Xi Jinping to Visit Pyongyang for First Time in Seven Years
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