Xi Jinping Completes Two-Day Visit to North Korea, Holds Summit with Kim Jong-un

Chinese President Xi Jinping returned home on Tuesday after completing a two-day, one-night visit to Pyongyang. The trip marked his first overseas destination of the year and included a summit with State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un plus a visit to the Friendship Tower. The summit produced no reference to North Korea's denuclearization.

Past meetings had at least mentioned the principle of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula; this time the topic was absent from both countries' statements. Xi stated that both sides must firmly safeguard their respective sovereignty, security and development interests.

The Chinese readout also included the phrase military exchanges and recorded Xi's proposal for economic cooperation, including the full opening of border trade crossings.

Yonhap reported that the alignment now spans the economy, diplomacy, law enforcement and the military. North Korea described the visit as opening a new chapter in bilateral ties. President Lee Jae Myung had called for China's role in North Korea's denuclearization during the South Korea-China summit in January.

Yonhap noted that it remains unclear whether China is fulfilling that request. The agency added that authorities in Seoul must recognize the security implications of closer North Korea-China ties and prepare appropriate countermeasures.