Xi Jinping visits North Korea for first time since 2019 as Pyongyang-Russia ties alarm Beijing

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on June 7 for his first visit in seven years — a significant departure from his recent pattern of receiving foreign leaders in Beijing rather than travelling abroad. Analysts from the International Crisis Group say the trip signals Beijing's concern about North Korea's deepening military partnership with Russia: South Korea's Institute for National Security Strategy estimates Moscow has paid North Korea as much as $14.4 billion since 2023 for troop deployments and weapons exports including artillery and ballistic missiles. North Korea has historically depended on China for approximately 95% of its total trade.