What to know as China's Xi heads to North Korea to meet Kim Jong Un

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — China’s Xi Jinping is traveling to North Korea for the first time in nearly seven years in a trip that offers North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a stage to showcase an increasingly assertive foreign policy anchored by closer ties with his country’s former Cold War allies.

China, the North’s economic pipeline, is expected to reassert its influence over a traditionally allied government that has grown closer to Russia in recent times.

The meeting between the two leaders is their first since Kim traveled to Beijing for a World War II event in September 2025.

Here is a look at what they may be seeking from their upcoming meeting: What Kim wants After years of prioritizing Russia — dispatching thousands of troops and munitions to support Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine — North Korea’s leader is now seeking stronger ties with China to break further out of isolation, embracing the idea of a “new Cold War” and projecting Pyongyang as part of a united front against Washington.

Since the era of its previous leaders, North Korea has long maintained an “equidistance” approach toward Beijing and Moscow, playing its two main benefactors against each other to maximize its gains.

While he is receiving crucial support from Russia for backing its war effort, likely including military technologies and aid, Kim cannot fulfil his promise to improve the living standards of his populace without greater economic assistance from China, according to Koh Yu-hwan, a former president of Seoul’s Institute of National Unification.

“North Korea vows to maintain a self-reliant economic system and focus on advancing its nuclear capabilities, but in reality it’s nearly impossible to raise living standards by mobilizing internal resources alone,” Koh said.

The Kim-Xi meeting could include discussions on resuming Chinese tourism to North Korea and opening a bridge over the Yalu River that has remained unused years after its completion, Koh said.

The leaders could also discuss joint economic development projects in border regions shared by North Korea, China and Russia.

It remains to be seen whether Kim at some point will use his increased diplomatic footing to reengage with Washington after his talks with U.S.

President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019 over disagreements about sanctions on North Korea.....