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June 8, 2026 ~ International relations expert Peter Trumbore breaks down President Xi’s visit to North Korea and global implications.
PYONGYANG, N.K. ~ Chinese President Xi Jinping took an official visit to meet with Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un for the first time in seven years on Monday. Xi was greeted at Pyongyang’s international airport on the first of his two-day visit.
The two leaders expressed similar interests in growing ties between the two nations in a later summit.
“One of the interests that China has here is rebalancing the relationship and reminding Kim that China is the sort of the dominant lead partner here,” International relations expert Peter Trumbore said on All Talk. “There’s also some sense that this is an opportunity for China to gain some additional leverage vis-à-vis the United States.”
The visit follows United States’ President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in early May.
Xi is expected to return to the U.S. in September to meet with Trump.
