China’s Premier Li Qiang is set to visit North Korea this week, marking the highest-level Chinese visit to the country since 2019. The visit signals a continued effort by both nations to strengthen long-standing political and economic ties amid growing regional realignments.
According to statements from North Korea’s state news agency KCNA and China’s Foreign Ministry, Li will lead a senior Chinese delegation to attend events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK). The celebrations will include a major military parade in Pyongyang on October 10. Both sides described the visit as an opportunity to reaffirm their status as “traditional friends and neighbors,” emphasizing shared goals of stability and cooperation.
The last high-level Chinese visit to North Korea occurred in 2019, when President Xi Jinping traveled to Pyongyang to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. That meeting was widely regarded as a sign of renewed engagement between the two countries following years of limited diplomatic activity.
In the years since, North Korea has expanded its cooperation with Russia, signing a mutual defense treaty and reportedly dispatching troops to assist in the Kursk region. Despite its growing alignment with Moscow, Pyongyang has also been quietly rebuilding its partnership with Beijing. Analysts note that the dual strategy allows North Korea to balance its relationships with both major regional powers.
Earlier this year, Zhao Leji, a senior member of the Communist Party of China’s Politburo Standing Committee, visited Pyongyang. His trip marked the first official Chinese visit since Xi’s 2019 appearance and laid the groundwork for Premier Li’s upcoming mission.
In September, Kim Jong Un traveled to Beijing to attend a military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. The event marked Kim’s first major multilateral appearance alongside world leaders since taking power. During the ceremony, Kim stood alongside Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, symbolizing a growing alignment among the three nations.
The image of Kim, Xi, and Putin together drew widespread attention and criticism in the United States. Former U.S. President Donald Trump accused the three countries of “conspiring” against Washington, reigniting debate within U.S. policy circles about shifting global alliances. The developments underscore how China, Russia, and North Korea are increasingly presenting a united front at a time when global power dynamics are in flux.