Xi Jinping arrives in Pyongyang

Images via the KCNA

Various Sources

Chinese President and Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping, accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, arrived in Pyongyang on 8 June 2026, where they were greeted by Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol-ju. This marked Xi’s second state visit to the DPRK and his first international trip of 2026, with his previous DPRK visit in 2019. During this visit, Xi and Kim began talks aimed at reinforcing bilateral political trust, economic cooperation, and regional strategic alignment. The visit coincides with the 65th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance between the two countries in 1961.

Ahead of his visit Xi made remarks in a signed article published on Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the DPRK. In it he spoke of:

• Political and diplomatic alignment: Consolidating high-level exchanges and strategic coordination

  
  

• Economic and practical cooperation: Expanding trade, agriculture, infrastructure development, science and technology, construction, and healthcare collaboration

  
  

• People-to-people engagement: Leveraging fully reopened border crossings and resumed civil aviation to strengthen cultural exchange, tourism, and education

  
  

• Preservation of historical ties: Managing memorial facilities, promoting revolutionary traditions and youth education, and fostering the “red legacy”

  
  

• Regional and global cooperation: Encouraging joint efforts to safeguard sovereignty, security, and regional stability under the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity

Xi also emphasized that the China-DPRK friendship would remain firm regardless of global changes, signaling continued Chinese support for the DPRK's socialist leadership under Kim Jong Un.

The DPRK welcomed Xi as a most respected guest, highlighting the deep traditional friendship and strategic importance of the bilateral relationship. Public ceremonies included military salutes, inspection of honor guards, and large crowds of citizens and children, signaling the significance of this visit to the people of the DPRK. Kim Jong Un stressed that strengthening DPRK-China relations is the highest strategic priority for his country, associating it with regional peace and long-term development.

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