Tilt towards Beijing? Xi and Kim vow to ‘open new chapter’ in ties

Name: China’s Xi Jinping arrives in Pyongyang after hailing ‘unbreakable’ friendship with North Korea
Uploaded: 2026-06-09T02:09:01.000Z
Duration: 1 min 32 s
Description: China’s Xi Jinping arrives in Pyongyang after hailing ‘unbreakable’ friendship with North Korea

North Korean leader says strengthening relations with China is the country’s ‘most important strategic mission’, according to state media

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (second from left) and his wife, Peng Liyuan (left), pose with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, in Pyongyang on Monday. Photo: Xinhua

Nayan SethandMark Magnierin New York

Published: 10:09am, 9 Jun 2026Updated: 7:08pm, 9 Jun 2026

China and North Korea have pledged to strengthen strategic cooperation and defend each other’s sovereignty, according to a North Korean state media report covering Chinese President Xi Jinping’s two-day visit to Pyongyang.

The two leaders vowed to “open a new chapter” in bilateral ties and expand exchanges and cooperation in political, economic, cultural and other fields, the official Korean Central News Agency reported on Tuesday.

It quoted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as saying that strengthening ties with China was the country’s “most important strategic mission”.

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China’s Xi Jinping arrives in Pyongyang after hailing ‘unbreakable’ friendship with North Korea

The Chinese leader on Monday said his country’s relationship with North Korea “stands at a new historical starting point” and that he had reached “important consensus” with Kim, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

Attending a state banquet in Pyongyang, Xi called the countries “good neighbours, good friends and good comrades” and highlighted their deep historical ties.

“China and the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea], linked by mountains and rivers and sharing a common future, have seen their traditional friendship passed down across generations and grow ever stronger over time through the test of the evolving international landscape,” Xi was quoted as saying.

Xi arrived in Pyongyang on Monday to a red-carpet welcome, filled with pomp and pageantry.

During the talks, Xi pledged “unwavering” support to North Korea and its leader and called for stronger exchanges at all levels in areas such as foreign policy, law enforcement and the military.

Tilt towards Beijing? Xi and Kim vow to ‘open new chapter’ in ties

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}North Korean leader says strengthening relations with China is the country’s ‘most important strategic mission’, according to state media

North Korean leader says strengthening relations with China is the country’s ‘most important strategic mission’, according to state media