North Korea Set to Host Xi Jinping as China Moves to Reassert Strategic Ties

June 5, 2026

Mintesinot Nigussie

North Korea will host Chinese President Xi Jinping on a two-day visit beginning June 8, according to state media reports, in what will be his first trip to the country in nearly seven years and a significant step in renewed diplomatic engagement between the two allies.

The visit follows an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and comes amid gradual efforts to restore cross-border exchanges that had largely stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

Transport connections have resumed in stages, with passenger train services between Beijing and Pyongyang restarting in March after a six-year suspension.

Diplomatic engagement between the two countries has also included high-level visits, notably Kim Jong Un’s trip to Beijing last September.

Xi’s foreign travel schedule has remained limited in recent years, with the North Korea trip set to be his first overseas visit in 2026.