Chinese leader Xi visits North Korea for first talks in seven years

Chinese President Xi Jinping departed for Pyongyang on Monday in his first visit to North Korea in seven years, a diplomatic move aimed at reasserting Beijing's unique influence over the isolated nation and signaling to the U.S. that China wields leverage over the Korean Peninsula.

Xi's two-day state visit includes his wife Peng Liyuan and top officials including Foreign Minister Wang Yi. He will meet leader Kim Jong Un—their first summit since September in Beijing, where they attended a military parade alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and other foreign leaders.

No specific agenda has been publicly announced, but foreign experts predict the meeting will have major ramifications on bilateral ties. Both nations are seeking to fully restore their traditional alliance as they face separate confrontations with the U.S. Kim, meanwhile, has been prioritizing cooperation with Russia, supplying troops and weapons for the war in Ukraine in exchange for economic and military assistance.

"A Chinese leader doesn't just visit North Korea because a visit is due. Xi's trip will have real implications for China-DPRK relations," said Leif-Eric Easley, professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

China has long been North Korea's economic lifeline and main diplomatic backer. The two countries signed a mutual defense treaty 65 years ago, though Beijing has faced questions about whether it fully enforces United Nations sanctions on the regime. Analysts say restoring exclusive Chinese influence over North Korea would give Xi leverage in dealings with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his desire to restart diplomacy with Kim.

Xi's visit comes after back-to-back summits with Trump and Putin in Beijing last month. He is expected to meet Trump again on a planned U.S. visit in September.