Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed his intent to strengthen and further develop China’s strategic partnership with North Korea amid growing coordination between Beijing, Moscow, and Pyongyang on regional and global issues.
Earlier this week, North Korea’s official news agency, the Korea Central News Agency (KCNA), announced that Xi had sent a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on October 9th. In the message, Xi reportedly emphasized the “enduring bond” between the two nations, calling China and North Korea “great neighbors, friends, and comrades that help each other.” He wrote that their “traditional friendship is solidifying as time passes,” and that ties have “grown stronger” since Kim’s September visit to Beijing. Xi stated that the two sides had “prepared a blueprint for the development of relations” and pledged that China was ready to deepen cooperation “in international and regional affairs,” aiming to promote “mutual welfare” and “safeguard regional peace and justice.”
The September visit referenced by Xi was Kim’s attendance at ceremonies in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. During the event, Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin stood alongside Xi—an image that underscored the growing partnership between the three countries in the face of Western pressure.
Last week, Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress, visited Pyongyang to attend celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of North Korea’s Workers’ Party. His trip marked the first visit by a senior Chinese official to North Korea in six years.
Although China and North Korea have maintained a mutual defense treaty since 1961, relations have often been strained, particularly following the Sino-Soviet split and North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. However, in recent years, both sides have quietly repaired their ties. North Korea’s growing alliance with Russia has further cemented its position, effectively restoring its Cold War-era alignment with both Moscow and Beijing—reshaping the balance of power on the Korean Peninsula.