Pyongyang – UNS : Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in North Korea on Monday for a rare official visit, reaffirming the longstanding ties between Beijing and Pyongyang and describing their relationship as an “invincible friendship.”
The visit marks Xi’s first overseas trip of the year and his first visit to North Korea since 2019. Upon arrival in Pyongyang, he received a ceremonial welcome led by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol-ju.
Xi was accompanied by his wife, Peng Liyuan.
Footage released by Chinese state media showed military officers lining a red carpet as Xi’s Air China aircraft landed. Children presented flowers to the visiting delegation, while banners celebrating the “unbreakable friendship” between China and North Korea were displayed alongside the two countries’ national flags.
China remains North Korea’s largest trading partner and a key source of diplomatic and economic support, particularly as Pyongyang continues to face international sanctions.
Xi’s visit comes shortly after he hosted separate meetings in Beijing with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The trip also takes place amid stalled negotiations between North Korea and the United States over Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.
While Washington and Beijing recently reiterated their support for the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, North Korea has maintained a firm stance on its nuclear capabilities. On the eve of Xi’s visit, Kim Jong Un’s sister stated that the country’s nuclear weapons programme remained “the line of no retreat.”
Meanwhile, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung urged continued efforts toward denuclearisation, warning that North Korea is still producing nuclear material.
Observers view Xi’s visit as a significant diplomatic move that highlights the strategic partnership between China and North Korea at a time of heightened regional and global geopolitical tensions.
