China’s Xi Jinping Holds Talks with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in Beijing

Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held official talks in Beijing on Thursday, state media confirmed, during Kim’s rare foreign visit.

The meeting took place at the Great Hall of the People, highlighting the continued significance of the China–North Korea alliance, a relationship that dates back to their joint sacrifices in the Korean War of the 1950s.

On Wednesday, Xi, Kim, and Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a grand military parade in Beijing. The event displayed China’s advanced military technology, including:

• Underwater drones
• Massive intercontinental missiles
• Cutting-edge laser weapons

This was the first time Kim was seen alongside both Xi and Putin at the same international event.

According to China’s foreign ministry, the discussions were aimed at fostering “an in-depth exchange of views on China–DPRK relations and issues of common concern.”

Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stated: “China is willing to work with the DPRK to strengthen strategic communication and deepen the exchange of experience in governance.”

Kim Jong Un arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, accompanied by his daughter Kim Ju Ae.

• This marks only his second trip abroad in six years.
• It is also his first visit to China since 2019.

His attendance at the parade signalled a carefully choreographed moment of solidarity with Beijing and Moscow.

Between 2018 and 2019, Kim engaged in a flurry of international diplomacy, meeting:

• Donald Trump (then US President)
• Moon Jae-in (then South Korean President)

However, after the collapse of the 2019 Hanoi summit with Trump, Kim retreated from the global stage, limiting his foreign engagements significantly.

Historically, Beijing has been North Korea’s closest and most vital partner, providing:

Despite North Korea’s ongoing isolation and the weight of crippling international sanctions, China remains its most reliable ally—demonstrated once again through this high-profile engagement in Beijing.