Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea next week for a visit scheduled for June 8-9. Announced by state media in both countries on Friday, this marks the Chinese leader's first trip to the isolated state since 2019 and his inaugural overseas trip of the year.
The visit comes shortly after Xi hosted United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing during May. The announcement follows a day after North Korea unveiled a new facility to produce nuclear fuel and material for nuclear bombs.
The summit occurs as Pyongyang strengthens its relations with Russia and highlights North Korea's rising importance among the biggest adversaries of the United States. Meanwhile, China is positioning itself as a global power player projecting stability, contrasting its approach with the erratic tariff policies and economically damaging war against Iran conducted by the U.S.