Beijing: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged firm and enduring support for China’s sovereignty, security, and development interests during a high-profile summit with President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The meeting, held on Thursday, was Kim’s first visit to China in six years and came against the backdrop of heightened global tensions and shifting alliances.
According to North Korea’s state broadcaster KCNA, Kim underscored that Pyongyang’s friendship with Beijing is unshakable “no matter how the international situation changes.” He stressed that the two nations share “a common destiny” and highlighted his country’s readiness to safeguard China’s interests on both regional and global platforms. The symbolism was further magnified by Kim’s decision to bring his teenage daughter on the trip her first appearance abroad signalling a generational message about continuity in the Pyongyang-Beijing bond.
For his part, President Xi Jinping described North Korea as “good neighbours, good friends, and good comrades,” while calling for stronger political trust, closer high-level exchanges, and enhanced coordination on pressing international matters. Xi also praised Kim’s presence at Beijing’s recent military parade where Kim stood alongside Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin as evidence of “unbreakable solidarity” among like-minded powers.
The timing of the summit carries significant geopolitical weight. Over the past year, Pyongyang has deepened military and economic cooperation with Moscow, supplying artillery, missiles, and even troops to Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. Analysts suggest that Beijing is eager to reassert influence over Pyongyang, wary that Moscow’s growing closeness could reduce China’s leverage over its traditional ally.
Meanwhile, the summit coincided with preparations by South Korea, Japan, and the United States for joint military drills aimed at countering North Korea’s missile threat — a stark reminder of the fragile security environment in Northeast Asia. By reaffirming their partnership, Kim and Xi sent a strong signal to Washington and its allies that Beijing and Pyongyang remain strategically aligned.
The meeting not only rekindled a relationship that had cooled in recent years but also underscored the evolving triangular dynamic among China, Russia, and North Korea. For Beijing, strengthening ties with Pyongyang offers both a buffer against U.S. influence in the Indo-Pacific and a safeguard against being sidelined in the region’s shifting power balance. For Kim, the summit reinforced his legitimacy and showcased North Korea’s role as a pivotal player in Asia’s contested strategic landscape.
In this renewed display of loyalty and partnership, Kim and Xi have effectively written a new chapter in the complex but resilient history of China–North Korea relations, one that could reshape the regional equation for years to come.