Xi Jinping to visit Pyongyang on June 8-9, first since 2019
The two-day trip comes as Beijing works to keep Pyongyang from drifting further toward Russia.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Pyongyang on June 8-9 to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Xinhua and KCNA said the trip is at Kim's invitation and will be Xi's first visit to North Korea since 2019, as well as his first overseas trip this year. The schedule comes several weeks after Xi received United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing. Some observers say Beijing wants to repair ties that had cooled and reaffirm its influence over Pyongyang, which has grown closer to Moscow in recent months. For North Korea, the meeting is also important because China remains its main economic and political partner amid sanctions tied to its nuclear program.