Xi leaves for North Korea as Beijing moves to reinforce strategic ties with Kim, calls relationship 'invincible'

Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the relationship between Beijing and Pyongyang to be "invincible" ahead of his high-profile state visit to North Korea.

Writing a front-page editorial in the Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's state-run newspaper, Xi emphasised that the traditional alliance would remain unshakable regardless of how the international landscape shifts. The trip marks Xi’s first visit to Pyongyang in seven years and is his first international journey of 2026, signalling the high priority China is placing on reasserting its influence over its neighbor.

The summit comes at a time of shifting alliances in East Asia, heavily influenced by North Korea's recent military alignment with Russia. Following a 2024 mutual defense pact signed between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin, Moscow and Pyongyang have rapidly deepened their security and defense ties. Analysts view Xi’s visit as a strategic move to ensure Beijing remains the dominant foreign power influencing North Korea, preventing Moscow from completely monopolising diplomatic leverage over the isolated regime.

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Furthermore, the timing of the visit places China in a pivotal role as a diplomatic gatekeeper between North Korea and the West. Xi Jinping traveled to Pyongyang shortly after hosting separate, back-to-back summits in Beijing with Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. By positioning himself as a direct intermediary, Xi is signalling to Washington that any long-term resolution regarding the Korean Peninsula’s security and nuclear status must be negotiated through China.

The meetings also commemorate the 65th anniversary of the 1961 China-North Korea Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation, and Mutual Assistance—notably the only formal mutual defence pact China maintains with any nation.

In his editorial, Xi took aim at growing security trilateralism between the US, Japan, and South Korea, stating that both nations must oppose external attempts to revive regional militarism.

The timing is significant, coming just a day after Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, said North Korea's nuclear weapons programme is not up for negotiation.