Chinese President Xi Jinping visits North Korea to strengthen ties. Xi aims to bring North Korea closer to China.
Key facts
- •Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Monday for his first visit to North Korea since 2019.
- •North Korea has expanded its trade and military relationship with Russia.
- •Xi wrote that the traditional friendship between China and North Korea remains unbreakable.
- •Kim Jong Un is likely to seek greater connections to China's vast economic power to bolster North Korea's economy.
- •North Korea's economy has reported a 3% GDP growth in both of the last two years.
- •Kim wants the North to be seen as a 'normal state' and to expand the scope and reach of his diplomatic efforts.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Monday for his first visit to North Korea since 2019. Xi's visit comes as North Korea has expanded its trade and military relationship with Russia.
China-North Korea Relations
China has been North Korea's primary geopolitical and financial benefactor since the North Korean dictatorship emerged. Xi wrote in a letter published in North Korea's state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper that the traditional friendship between China and North Korea remains unbreakable. Choo Jae-woo, a professor of foreign policy at South Korea's Kyung Hee University, said Xi will be motivated to consolidate and reconfirm the relationship with the North.
Xi's Visit and North Korea's Goals
Kim Jong Un is likely to trumpet bilateral ties and seek greater connections to China's vast economic power to bolster North Korea's economy. Choo Jae-woo added that the visit provides Kim an opportunity to boost North Korea's legitimacy and international respect on the global stage. Kim wants the North to be seen as a 'normal state' and to use this visit to start to expand the scope and reach of his diplomatic efforts.
Global Implications
Kim Sang-woo, a former politician, said Xi's visit intends to emphasize that China is now one of the two leading countries in the world, alongside the US. Xi wants to demonstrate that China is the hegemon of the Indo-Pacific region and to point out that the commitment and reliability of the US to the region is becoming less and less certain. Pyongyang wants to show that North Korea is a country that others need to take notice of.
This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Deutsche Welle.
