Gulf Today
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June 08, 2026
Chinese president Xi Jinping is set to embark on his first visit to North Korea in nearly seven years, a significant diplomatic engagement that offers leader Kim Jong Un a crucial platform to project an increasingly assertive foreign policy.
The trip underscores Pyongyang’s strategy of forging closer ties with its traditional Cold War allies, while Beijing, North Korea’s vital economic lifeline, is expected to reassert its influence over a government that has recently gravitated towards Russia.
The three-day visit, which begins on Monday, marks the first direct encounter between the two leaders since Kim’s trip to Beijing for a World War II event in September 2015. The high-stakes discussions are expected to address a range of geopolitical and economic objectives for both nations.
What Kim Jong Un stands to gain
After a period of prioritising Russia, which has seen North Korea dispatching thousands of troops and munitions to support Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Kim is now seeking to strengthen ties with China. This move is aimed at further breaking out of international isolation, embracing the concept of a “new Cold War,” and positioning Pyongyang as part of a united front against the US.
This story is from the June 08, 2026 edition of Gulf Today.
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