Jinping to visit North Korea next week in first trip since 2019

China's President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea on June 8-9 at the invitation of Kim Jong Un, marking his first trip to Pyongyang since 2019 and only his second ever. State media in Beijing and Pyongyang confirmed the trip, which comes amid renewed high‑level engagement between the two nations. Xi's last visit was a two-day state trip in June 2019. Kim's outreach to Xi followed his September trip to Beijing for a military parade, underscoring coordinated diplomacy between the allies. Analysts note Beijing views North Korea's nuclear program as a geopolitical asset to counter U.S. influence, even as North Korea highlights new enrichment capabilities.