Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to North Korea on June 8 and 9, marking his first overseas trip of 2026, according to announcements by Chinese state media.
The visit comes at the invitation of Kim Jong-un and was confirmed by China’s state-run media outlets, including Xinhua News Agency and CCTV.
Xi’s trip follows high-profile meetings in Beijing last month with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
Speculation about the visit had grown in recent weeks after reports of a Chinese delegation arriving in Pyongyang. Analysts view the trip as a signal that Beijing is seeking to strengthen and recalibrate its influence over North Korea and the broader Korean Peninsula.
Xi last visited North Korea in 2019, when he met Kim Jong-un and was accorded full military honours.
The two leaders also met in September 2025, when Kim travelled to China to attend military parade celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The upcoming visit is expected to highlight the close ties between Beijing and Pyongyang amid evolving regional security dynamics in East Asia.
