Leader Kim Jong-un has visited China in his first visit to the country in a year, South Korea’s government said.
Kim’s visit to China is his latest move in an increasingly assertive foreign policy as he seeks to align Pyongyang with Beijing and Moscow in a united front against the United States under what he portrays as a “new Cold War”.
Kim appears to have arrived in the Chinese border city of Dandong after crossing a newly opened bridge linking the two countries, according to South Korean officials yesterday.
Experts said the opening of the New Yalu River Bridge this month was a key symbol of strengthening ties between the two countries and reflected their intent to expand trade, as it is expected to accommodate two-way traffic around the clock.
North Korean and Chinese state media did not immediately report on a visit by Kim.
Kim has recently sought to strengthen ties with China, the North’s traditional main ally and economic lifeline, after years of prioritising ties with Russia.
He sent thousands of troops and conventional weapons to support President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, possibly in exchange for military and economic assistance.
Kim’s visit comes months after Chinese President Xi Jinping travelled to Pyongyang in June for a meeting with Kim.
During their summit, Xi expressed Beijing’s willingness to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, agriculture, construction and technology, while Kim described ties with China as a top strategic priority.
Kim last visited Beijing in September 2025, when he met with Xi and watched a military parade alongside Putin and other foreign leaders.
Kim has maintained a hard line towards Seoul and has rebuffed a proposal from US President Donald Trump to revive their diplomacy, which broke down in 2019 during Trump’s first term.
North Korea has called for Washington to abandon its “hostile policy” and drop demands for the North’s denuclearisation as a precondition for renewed talks.
South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers last month that it saw a “50%” possibility of a meeting between Trump and Kim on the sidelines of next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or Apec summit in Shenzhen, China. — AP
