Flags, gun salute greet China's Xi on arrival in North Korea for summit

PYONGYANG: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in North Korea on Monday for a two-day summit with leader Kim Jong Un, saying bilateral ties had reached a new historical starting point in remarks published by North Korean state media before his arrival.

Xi said China’s consistent policy was to deepen relations with North Korea and that both sides would expand exchanges across all sectors. He also said Beijing would work with Pyongyang to advance fair and orderly multilateralism and inclusive economic globalisation, adding that lasting peace and stability in the region remained a shared objective of both countries.

Xi wrote that the two countries must resist threats to regional stability. "We must oppose hegemony, authoritarianism and all attempts and conspiracies to revive militarism that endanger regional security and stability,"  Xi added, as Beijing looks to draw Pyongyang closer.

Chinese state media showed Xi receiving a ceremonial welcome in Pyongyang from Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju. He was greeted on a red carpet and received by a guard of honour, while children handed over bouquets. A military band played the national anthems of both countries in Kim Il Sung Square, a venue associated with state celebrations and military parades. The official Xinhua news agency said a 21-gun salute was fired as crowds gathered beneath large portraits of the two leaders, chanting slogans and releasing balloons.

Visit seen as strategically significant

The visit is Xi’s first trip abroad this year and his first to North Korea in seven years. He is travelling with his wife Peng Liyuan, Cai Qi, who serves as his de facto chief of staff, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The summit comes as North Korea’s economy has been reinforced by expanding trade and military links with Russia, a development that could bolster Kim’s confidence in diplomacy. Craig Singleton, a senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the meeting showed Beijing still viewed Pyongyang as a strategic asset. He added that China, North Korea, Russia and Iran shared an interest in weakening US influence and putting pressure on its alliances.

John Delury, a senior fellow at the Asia Society, said in a post on X that the trip was about preserving a longstanding tradition under circumstances very different from Xi’s previous visit. Sydney Seiler of Washington’s Centre for Strategic and International Studies said the durability of closer North Korea-Russia ties and expanding North Korea-China relations could affect how long Kim is able to disregard Washington and Seoul.

Renewed exchanges after pandemic freeze

Video released by Xinhua showed Chinese and North Korean flags displayed along major roads in Pyongyang. The visit follows a gradual revival in exchanges between the two neighbours after contacts were frozen during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pyongyang has resumed crossings at the Chinese border, while Air China restarted flights between the two capitals in March. Xi had also hosted Kim and other leaders at a large military parade in Beijing last year, with Russian President Vladimir Putin in attendance.

On the eve of Xi’s arrival, North Korea signalled military ambition by announcing plans for a 10,000-ton naval destroyer and restating that it is a nuclear-armed state.