Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea next week in first visit since 2019

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Asia Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea next week in first visit since 2019 June 5, 20261:03 PM ET By The Associated Press People watch a TV screen showing a file image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, June 5, 2026. Ahn Young-joon/AP hide caption toggle caption Ahn Young-joon/AP BEIJING — Chinese leader Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea next week, both countries announced Friday, in what will be his first visit in nearly seven years. His trip will be the latest in a series of steps by China to reinforce its close ties with its nuclear-armed neighbor.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reached out to Russia in recent years, notably by sending troops and conventional weapons to support its war against Ukraine. But in the past year, Kim has likewise been trying to improve ties with China, the North's biggest trading partner and provider of aid. Sponsor Message "As North Korea builds closer ties with Russia, China seeks to use Xi's trip to reassert its influence over Pyongyang and safeguard its strategic interests in northeast Asia," said William Yang, an analyst for the International Crisis Group.

The Details

Xi will make a state visit from Monday to Tuesday, Chinese and North Korean state media said in brief dispatches. His last visit was in June 2019. World, reordering North Korea unveils a new plant to produce fuel for nuclear weapons The trip will serve to advance ties and strengthen regional peace and stability, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday.

"The traditional friendly and cooperative relations between China and the DPRK have continued to develop in a sound and stable manner, bringing tangible benefits to both countries and their peoples," spokeswoman Mao Ning said, using the abbreviation for North Korea's full name. The trip is coming just a few weeks after Xi hosted U. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in quick succession in Beijing.

North Korea's nuclear weapons program has long been a major concern for the United States, which opposes it. has imposed economic sanctions on North Korea because of its nuclear and missile development. The announcement of the trip came a day after North Korea unveiled a new facility to produce the material for nuclear bombs.

What Experts Say

It is believed to be a uranium enrichment plant, though North Korea has not confirmed that. Sponsor Message During a visit to the plant, Kim announced plans to bolster the country's nuclear forces "at an exponential rate. " Experts say the plant's disclosure implies that Kim was eager to cement his country's status as a nuclear weapons state ahead of Xi's visit.

World North Korea is relieved its nuclear weapons have prevented a fate like Iran's The experts say Kim wants international recognition as a nuclear state so he can demand the lifting of the sanctions. They say Kim would ultimately push for arms reductions talks with the U.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.