China’s Xi to Meet Kim Jong Un in Rare Trip to North Korea

Beijing, Pyongyang, Moscow, and Tehran are ‘sleeping in the same bed, but dreaming different dreams,’ an expert said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un leads a party meeting on strengthening the military in this handout picture released on May 30, 2025, by the Korean Central News Agency. KCNA via Reuters

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping will meet with his North Korean counterpart in Pyongyang next week, a rare trip that experts suggest is aimed at gaining leverage for a potential second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Xi accepted an invitation from North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, to make a state visit to its communist neighbor from June 8 to June 9, according to a June 5 statement from the CCP’s International Department.