Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea on Jun 8 and 9, state news agency Xinhua said on Friday (Jun 5), in his first overseas trip of the year.
“At the invitation of Kim Jong Un … Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President of the People’s Republic of China, will pay a state visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea from June 8 to 9,” Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said.
Xi’s visit follows his recent meetings in Beijing with both United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in May.
Confirmation of his trip comes after the prospect had surfaced in recent weeks, following media reports and sightings of a Chinese delegation in Pyongyang.
Analysts previously told CNA that Xi’s visit to Pyongyang would signal Beijing’s intent to recalibrate influence over North Korea and the wider Korean Peninsula.
Xi last visited North Korea in 2019, where he met with North Korean leader Kim and received full military honours.
Meanwhile, Kim visited China last September to attend a military parade that marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. He met with Xi during the visit. (CNA)
