Xi and Kim express hopes for greater ties between China and North Korea

By — Hyung-Jin Kim, Associated Press Hyung-Jin Kim, Associated Press By — Ken Moritsugu, Associated Press Ken Moritsugu, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/xi-and-kim-express-hopes-for-greater-ties-between-china-and-north-korea Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Xi and Kim express hopes for greater ties between China and North Korea World Jun 8, 2026 11:08 AM EDT SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un underscored their commitment to deepen cooperation in a closely watched summit on Monday, as Xi made a rare visit to Pyongyang in a likely attempt to reassert Beijing's unique influence over its socialist neighbor. It's Xi's first visit to North Korea in seven years. Earlier Monday, he was given a lavish welcome upon arrival at Pyongyang's international airport. He and his wife Peng Liyuan were greeted by Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju, who broadly smiled and clapped. Xi later arrived at Pyongyang's main square, where a military honor guard and thousands of people, including children carrying balloons and hopping, staged a welcoming ceremony. Buildings surrounding the plaza were draped in the two countries' flags, giant portraits of Kim and Xi and red-and-yellow banners welcoming the Chinese leader and celebrating the nations' "friendship and unity." Xi and Kim express their hopes for greater ties In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (left) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in 2025. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. Photo by Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP In a summit later Monday, Xi expressed China's willingness to expand cooperation in a wide range of areas including trade, agriculture, construction and technology, China's state broadcaster CCTV said in an online report. Xi said the two countries should strengthen strategic cooperation and firmly safeguard their respective sovereignty and security interests, according to the report. Kim said Xi's visit "clearly demonstrates how unbreakable" the North Korean-China relationship is, CCTV said. It cited Kim as saying that consolidating a new era of friendship between the two countries is the "unchanging strategic choice" of North Korea. Full details of the meeting weren't available. But foreign experts earlier predicted the meeting would have big ramifications on bilateral ties and beyond, as they both seek to fully restore their traditional alliance in the face of separate confrontations with the U.S. Xi and Kim last met in Beijing in September, after viewing a military parade alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and other foreign leaders. Sway over North Korea could help Xi's dealings with U.S. Xi's trip comes after his back-to-back summits with U.S. Presid