Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in North Korea on Monday for a two-day state visit, marking his first trip to the country in seven years. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol Ju welcomed Xi at the airport. This visit is Xi's first foreign trip of the year and comes amid significant global political changes.
The visit is seen as an opportunity to strengthen the long-standing relationship between China and North Korea. Analysts believe Beijing aims to position itself as a influential mediator in global diplomacy. During his visit, Xi emphasized the importance of regional security and stability, opposing any attempts to revive hegemony, power politics, and militarism.
The two leaders are expected to hold talks during the visit, discussing various areas of cooperation. This visit follows increased trade and military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, which has strengthened North Korea's economy. The streets of Pyongyang were decorated with national flags and banners welcoming Xi.
John Delury, a senior fellow at the Asia Society, noted that the main purpose of Xi's visit is to maintain the traditional relationship between the two countries in the face of new realities. The visit also comes after North Korea announced plans to build a new 10,000-ton destroyer and reaffirmed its status as a nuclear-armed state.
