China Power | Diplomacy | East Asia

Why Was Xi Jinping in North Korea?

The seven-year gap since Xi’s previous visit to North Korea suggests a cooling in bilateral relations. What does it mean that he made the trip to Pyongyang at last?

From June 8 to 9, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife made a state visit to Pyongyang. The high-level delegation accompanying them included Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau; Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member of the Central Committee; and Dong Jun, Minister of National Defense. 

The seven-year gap since Xi’s previous visit to North Korea suggests a cooling in bilateral relations, perhaps connected with North Korea’s recent involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Prior to the visit, several significant diplomatic developments took place. Xi met U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing from May 13 to 15, and the U.S. fact sheet about the summit reiterated the need for North Korean denuclearization. Chinese readouts were less specific. Prior to Xi’s arrival in Pyongyang, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un engaged in various displays to demonstrate that he has no intention of abandoning nuclear weapons. 

Then from May 19 to 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin made his 25th visit to China, and signed more than 20 bilateral agreements. Given the ongoing war in Ukraine, these agreements likely focused on military and defense logistics cooperation.

Some had expected a verbal clash between the U.S. and China at the Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore from May 30 to June 1, but U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered a restrained speech, while China sent a delegation composed of military experts and scholars instead of the defense minister.

What was the Purpose of Xi’s Visit?

Very little has been revealed about any substantive issues addressed during the visit, implying that its purpose was primarily ceremonial. The propaganda value of the trip was certainly exploited by Chinese state-run media such as the People’s Daily, which published highly exaggerated reports of its importance. The visit served as a pragmatic diplomatic move for China to gain leverage against the U.S. without actually conceding anything substantial to North Korea.

Nevertheless, Xi had sound strategic reasons to meet with Kim Jong Un. While China welcomes Russia and North Korea’s joint opposition to U.S. alliances in the region, it is wary of Russia emerging as North Korea’s dominant strategic patron. To this end, Xi will have reminded Kim that his “20×10” economic development project relies upon economic assistance from China. Also, Xi and Kim will surely have discussed South Korean plans to build nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) with U.S. cooperation.

For its part, North Korea used the visit to project an image of strategic autonomy, signaling that it can navigate between great powers, much as South Korea does. While some analysts view North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric during recent domestic events........

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