Xi's visit solidifies China's global influence

CHINESE leader Xi Jinping will make a rare trip to North Korea next week to meet with Kim Jong Un, Xi’s first such trip in seven years and a major opportunity for Kim to show Washington that he has powerful friends, even if he is shunned by the West.

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Xi will meet the North Korean leader for a state visit on June 8 and 9, state media outlets from both countries announced on Friday.

The summit comes as China positions itself as a global power player projecting stability in contrast to US President Donald Trump’s economically damaging war against Iran and erratic tariff policies.

Just last month, Xi hosted Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin for back-to-back summits in Beijing, and leaders from 17 countries, from Canada to Pakistan to Myanmar, have trekked to Beijing so far this year.

Xi and Kim are looking to affirm their relationship at a moment of significant geopolitical shifts, as the two link arms against a Western-led global order. China also wants to keep Pyongyang close as North Korea strengthens its military co-operation with Russia. North Korea will likely turn to Beijing, its biggest economic lifeline, for new investments and economic agreements.

The meeting reflects a notable political feat for Kim, the dictator of one of the world’s poorest countries who was once a diplomatic pariah with little leverage. After a pandemic shutdown that appeared to threaten Kim's regime, he has turned around his fortunes thanks to Moscow's recent economic, military and diplomatic support, which has come in return for Kim's deployment of troops to fight in Ukraine.