Xi Jinping to Visit North Korea for First Time Since 2019
Beijing and Pyongyang are cautiously rebuilding ties after years of relative isolation. The visit marks Xi's first return to North Korea since 2019, amid shifting geopolitical alliances and disagreements over denuclearisation.
Jun 5th 2026 · China
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit North Korea next Monday and Tuesday in what will be his second trip to the isolated nation and first since 2019. Beijing and Pyongyang are cautiously rebuilding ties after years of relative isolation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, North Korea's dissatisfaction with China's support for denuclearisation, and Beijing's reservations over Pyongyang's growing military cooperation with Moscow. The visit was first reported as speculation after satellite imagery showed construction work in Kim Il Sung Square, Pyongyang's most prominent public space, where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has hosted foreign dignitaries including Russian President Vladimir Putin. The speculation was fueled when Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan posted a video on social media showing construction material in the square during a visit to North Korea last week. Construction materials and fencing were not visible in satellite imagery taken approximately one month earlier. China has been North Korea's biggest benefactor and trade partner for years, providing an economic lifeline amid global sanctions aimed at ending its nuclear weapons programme. Kim made a rare trip outside his country in September 2025 to attend a military parade in Beijing where he shared smiles and handshakes with Xi and Putin, underscoring the North Korean leader's efforts to position his nation as an important world player. In a separate development, Chinese satellite company Changguang Satellite, which was recently sanctioned by the US government for allegedly helping Iran, released high-definition images of the Nvidia and Apple headquarters in California's Silicon Valley. The company said the release was routine satellite news, and that the Jilin-1 imagery was publicly available. A Changguang Satellite spokesman added that the company has consistently posted satellite views of various global locations, including open-pit iron mines in China, New Delhi during a heatwave, a volcanic crater in Hawaii, and stadiums in North America being prepared for the World Cup.