SEOUL, South Korea (AP) 鈥� China’s is traveling to North Korea for the first time in nearly seven years in a trip that offers North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a stage to showcase an increasingly assertive foreign policy anchored by closer ties with his country鈥檚 former Cold War allies.
China, the North鈥檚 economic pipeline, is expected to reassert its influence over a traditionally allied government that has grown closer to Russia in recent times.
The meeting between the two leaders is their first since for a World War II event in September 2025.
Here is a look at what they may be seeking from their upcoming meeting:
What Kim wants
鈥� dispatching thousands of troops and munitions to support Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine 鈥� North Korea’s leader is now seeking stronger ties with China to break further out of isolation, embracing the idea of a 鈥渘ew Cold War鈥� and projecting Pyongyang as part of a united front against Washington.
Since the era of its previous leaders, North Korea has long maintained an 鈥渆quidistance鈥� approach toward Beijing and Moscow, playing its two main benefactors against each other to maximize its gains.
While he is receiving crucial support from Russia for backing its war effort, likely including military technologies and aid, Kim cannot fulfil his promise to improve the living standards of his populace without greater economic assistance from China, according to Koh Yu-hwan, a former president of Seoul鈥檚 Institute of National Unification.
鈥淣orth Korea vows to maintain a self-reliant economic system and focus on advancing its nuclear capabilities, but in reality it鈥檚 nearly impossible to raise living standards by mobilizing internal resources alone,鈥� Koh said.
The Kim-Xi meeting could include discussions on resuming and opening a bridge over the Yalu River that has remained unused years after its completion, Koh said. The leaders could also discuss joint economic development projects in border regions shared by North Korea, China and Russia.
It remains to be seen whether Kim at some point will use his increased diplomatic footing to reengage with Washington after over disagreements about sanctions on North Korea.
Pyongyang has so far rebuffed Trump鈥檚 offers to resume talks after the American president entered his second term, as a precondition for negotiations. Kim also met Xi before traveling to Singapore and Vietnam for his summits with Trump in 2018 and moves widely interpreted as efforts to bolster his 鈥淔rom North Korea鈥檚 perspective, there鈥檚 belief that having China鈥檚 backing provides a sense of security and confidence when seeking to improve relations with the United States,鈥� said Park Won Gon, a professor at Seoul鈥檚 Ewha University.
What Xi wants
For China, the visit is a chance to bring back a closer into its orbit, by offering possible economic incentives and food aid, traditional assets it has given to North Korea.
鈥淚 think the Chinese are privately a little uneasy at the embrace of Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin, that the North Koreans have really gravitated towards very heavily towards the Russians. Part of Xi Jinping鈥檚 goal is to correct the balance,鈥� said Mike Chinoy, a former CNN journalist and author of an upcoming book about the insular country.
Xi is making his first overseas trip in 2026 after become increasingly selective about making state visits since the pandemic. Coming on the heels of separately hosting both and the choice is strategic.
鈥淭he trip ensures no one can reshape the peninsula鈥檚 security architecture without his concurrence,鈥� Seong-Hyon Lee, a senior fellow at the George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations, said.
Beijing is also realistic in response to Kim鈥檚 clear nuclear ambitions.
In April, China鈥檚 Foreign Minister Observers noted the absence of the word 鈥渄enuclearization鈥� from the statement on the visit, a departure from the standard line that China usually deploys which calls for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
鈥淭he most telling sign of the visit may be a silence: if China鈥檚 official readout omits the word 鈥榙enuclearization,鈥� Beijing has effectively accepted North Korea as a nuclear state, folding the issue into its broader buffer strategy against the U.S.,” said Lee.
In exchange, China could seek greater access to the estuary of the Tumen River, which forms part of the border between the two countries, and navigational rights in waters off the Korean Peninsula鈥檚 east coast.
Ultimately Kim is likely to give Xi a grand and lavish welcome at the symbolic level, but China may not be able to extract much from an experts say.
鈥淗e鈥檚 going to give Xi Jinping a welcome befitting of the head of state of their giant neighbor, but he鈥檚 not going to play the pliant 鈥榣ittle brother,鈥欌�� said Chinoy. __ Wu reported from Bangkok.
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