Xi’s Pyongyang Visit Signals Beijing’s Bid to Reassert Primacy as DPRK-Russia Ties Deepen
Xi Jinping’s 2026 trip to North Korea underscores Beijing’s priority of stabilising the Korean Peninsula and preserving North Korea as a strategic buffer against US-aligned forces. The source suggests China is moving to protect its leverage as Pyongyang expands defence cooperation with Russia while remaining economically dependent on China.