Rare Visit to Pyongyang After 7 Years: NYT Says Xi Jinping Needs to Coax Kim Jong Un

(Central News Agency, Beijing, 5th, Combined Foreign Reports) When Chinese leader Xi Jinping last visited North Korea, dictator Kim Jong Un was deep in sanctions trouble, and nuclear talks with the United States had ended in failure. Nearly seven years later, returning to Pyongyang, he will face a Kim Jong Un whose national economy has emerged from isolation and whose confidence has soared after allying with Russia.

Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to North Korea on the 8th and 9th. The New York Times reports that Xi is expected to use the two-day summit to showcase a united front between the two countries as allies against the West. However, analysts point out that China also hopes to use this opportunity to reassert its influence over a neighbor increasingly leaning toward Russia. Kim Jong Un, for his part, will want to no longer be seen as China's junior partner and may use his growing ties with Russia to seek economic concessions from Beijing.

If North Korea can successfully maintain a balance between its two giant neighbors, Kim Jong Un may feel even more emboldened to advance his nuclear weapons program. This could destabilize the region, as China's military buildup is already causing concern among US regional allies, who worry whether Washington, with its resources tied up in the Iran war, can fulfill its defense commitments. Here are the key points of the upcoming Xi-Kim summit:

● Demonstrating Unity, Necessity to Coax Kim Jong Un

Xi Jinping may use this rare meeting to reiterate to the world that North Korea still relies on China and that Beijing can never be marginalized.

This aligns with Xi's efforts to shape China into a superpower on par with the United States. Beijing is eager to prove to the outside world that while Washington sows chaos everywhere—whether by going to war with Iran or imposing tariffs on allies and rivals—Beijing is the world's stabilizing force.

Kurt Campbell, who served as Deputy Secretary of State under former US President Joe Biden, said, "Xi Jinping is trying to show that his relationships with members of the authoritarian bloc are more harmonious than President Trump's relationships with his democratic partners."

But Xi's rare visit also reflects that he, too, needs to coax Kim Jong Un.

Pyongyang and Moscow revived their Cold War-era mutual defense commitment in 2024, reducing Pyongyang's dependence on Beijing. In return for oil, food, and weapons technology that North Korea desperately needs, Russia has received troops and ammunition from Pyongyang for the war in Ukraine. This is a headache for China, which wants to maintain influence over North Korea to restrain its unpredictable behavior and ensure border stability.

John Delury, a senior fellow at the Asia Society and a historian of Northeast Asia, said, "There's no doubt that China is worried about the growing closeness between North Korea and Russia. This visit will help to some extent to mitigate that trend and is a way for Xi to reassert his influence."

● Kim Jong Un's Fortunes Are Rising

Just a few years ago, Kim Jong Un's situation was very difficult. In 2019, US President Donald Trump walked away from nuclear talks, dashing North Korea's hopes for sanctions relief. The following year, he closed the border in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, directly freezing North Korea's trade with China, pushing it further into isolation. China is North Korea's main source of goods and foreign currency.

But Kim Jong Un's fortunes turned not only with the easing of the pandemic but also because of Russia's troubles in the Ukraine war. He strengthened ties with Moscow, rebalancing a foreign policy that had been heavily skewed toward China, supplying Moscow with weapons and troops. Russia has reciprocated with billions of dollars in oil, food, weapons technology, and other aid.

Xi Jinping may remind Kim Jong Un that China remains North Korea's main aid donor. In March of this year, China resumed train services and flights between Beijing and Pyongyang.

Nevertheless, Kim Jong Un wants more. Tourism is one of the few industries in North Korea not restricted by UN sanctions, and he has invested in building seaside resorts and mountain hot springs, aiming to attract Chinese tourists.

● Trump and Nuclear Issue Loom Over Xi-Kim Summit

An unanswered question surrounding the summit is whether Xi Jinping will pressure Kim Jong Un, and what kind of pressure, to engage with the United States. Since returning to the White House, Trump has repeatedly signaled his desire to hold another summit with Kim Jong Un.

Trump may have already asked Xi Jinping to deliver a message while in Pyongyang. However, Kim Jong Un remains steadfast, insisting he will refuse any dialogue with Washington as long as North Korea's nuclear program is on the table.

Beijing and Moscow have long shared with Washington the common goal of curbing North Korea's nuclear program. Both voted with the United States when the UN Security Council imposed comprehensive sanctions on Pyongyang in 2016 and 2017.

But two years ago, Putin signed a defense agreement with North Korea and provided Russian military technical assistance, seemingly giving tacit approval to the nuclear weapons program.

North Korea is estimated to already have 50 nuclear warheads, but it continues to seek advanced technology to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying these weapons.

Analysts say China officially opposes North Korea becoming a nuclear state, fearing it would prompt US allies like South Korea to seek their own nuclear arsenals. However, China's stance has shifted recently, reflecting a desire to improve relations with Pyongyang. There is also a growing consensus that a nuclear-armed North Korea could serve as a counterbalance to Washington and Seoul.

When Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un met in Beijing last September, the official statements from both governments did not mention denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which had been standard official language for many years. (Editor: Ho Hong-rui) 1150606