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China’s Xi Jinping expected to visit North Korea as early as next week

The news comes hard on the heels of visits to Beijing by the presidents of the United States and Russia

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Alyssa ChenPublished: 10:15am, 21 May 2026President Xi Jinping is expected to visit North Korea as early as next week, Yonhap news agency has reported, as Beijing and Pyongyang’s long-standing ties have grown warmer in recent months.“We have obtained intelligence indicating that President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea soon,” the South Korean agency said, citing a government source.

Another government official told Yonhap that Xi might visit North Korea later this month or early next month. A separate source said the Chinese leader could seek to mediate relations between North Korea and the United States, it said.

AdvertisementThe expected trip to Pyongyang comes after Foreign Minister Wang Yi travelled to the North Korean capital last month, meeting not only its top diplomat Choe Son-hui but also the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un.

As North Korea’s primary economic and political partner, China has been working with Pyongyang to restore a relationship that weakened during the Covid-19 pandemic.

China’s Xi hails ‘fruitful’ talks with Russia’s Putin #xitrumpsummit

Kim visited Beijing last year, where he appeared with Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a significant military parade.

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