A Historic Summit between China and North Korea

There was no absence of Chinese and North Korean media coverage of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea for meetings with Chairman Kim Jong Un. Mr. Xi’s last visit was in 2019, and what a difference seven years makes when you are dealing with North Korea.

Mr. Xi received royal treatment during his two-day visit in June 2026. Chinese and North Korean media coverage spoke of expanding cooperation on trade, agriculture, construction, and technology and enhancing exchanges in diplomacy, law enforcement and military affairs. Interestingly, China’s Minister of Defense, Dong Jun, and his North Korean counterpart, No Kwang-Chol, also participated in some of the meetings.

During the visit to the North Korea-China Friendship Tower to honor fallen soldiers from the 1950-1953 Korean War, Messrs. Xi and Kim stressed the importance of carrying forward their traditional friendship, with the “spirit of resistance against the U.S.”

Discounting the symbolism, what did China accomplish from the visit, the first foreign trip in 2026 for Mr. Xi?

1. Reaffirmation that North Korea is China's only ally, pursuant to the 1961 Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance. Following Mr. Xi’s visit, it’s likely North Korea will receive an impressive gift from China.

2.North Korea’s recommitment to a one-China policy over the Taiwan issue.

3.A message to Russia’s Vladimir Putin that China will ensure that North Korea remains economically and strategically tethered to China. North Korea keeps China apprised of their military support to Russia for its war in Ukraine.

4.A message to President Donald Trump that China retains considerable leverage over North Korea and any U.S. effort to seek rapprochement with North Korea will be transparent to Beijing and dependent on China’s support.

What did North Korea accomplish from the visit of Mr. Xi?

1.De facto recognition that North Korea is a nuclear weapons state.

2.The prestige accrued to Mr. Kim from the visit of Mr. Xi.

3.A likely uptick in trade and agricultural assistance, pursuant to commitments Mr. Xi made during the visit. Also, likely closer collaboration between the Korean People’s Army and China’s People’s Liberation Army.

Clearly, what Mr. Kim got from the visit was the prestige of having two great powers – China and Russia – vie for North Korea’s attention. The September 2025 Victory Day celebration in Beijing, with Mr. Kim standing next to Messrs. Xi and Putin, preceded by the visit of Mr. Putin to Pyongyang and now Mr. Xi’s visit to Pyongyang all contribute to an enhanced profile for a North Korean leader who is building more nuclear weapons that can be mated to ballistic missiles that can target South Korea, Japan, and the U.S.

It’s likely the U.S. was discussed in private discussions between these two leaders. Mr. Kim probably made the case for North Korea’s nuclear program and counseled against China overtly again calling for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

In fact, Mr. Kim probably made it clear to Mr. Xi that the construction of the new Uranium Enrichment facility at Yongbyon was a message he was sending to the U.S. : North Korea’s nuclear program will make it clear (to the U.S.) that the Yongbyon nuclear complex now has a new facility that is spinning sophisticated centrifuges to produce more Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) for nuclear weapons. Indeed, the Yongbyon facility was the facility that Mr. Kim offered to dismantle in February 2019 at the Hanoi Summit with Mr. Trump, in exchange for the lifting of sanctions imposed in 2016. Mr. Kim’s message to the U.S.: You missed an opportunity and now we will use this new HEU facility to build more nuclear weapons.

It is interesting that Mr. Xi’s last visit to North Korea was in June 2019, a few months after Mr. Trump’s summit with Mr. Kim in Hanoi. It’s clear that China was expecting a briefing on the summit and the status of U.S. relations with North Korea.

Having a friendly North Korea as a buffer state with a South Korea aligned with the U.S. is important to Beijing. Expecting China to facilitate contact between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim is unrealistic and not in China’s interest. The ball is in the U.S. court.

The author is a former associate director of national intelligence. All statements of fact, opinion or analysis expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official positions or views of the U.S. government. Nothing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying U.S. government authentication of information or endorsement of the author’s views.

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