China, North Korea boast better ties after Xi-Kim talks

North Korea and China have a "deeper and more comprehensive mutual understanding," China's official Xinhua news agency reported after Chinese President Xi Jinping took off from Pyongyang on Tuesday afternoon after a summit with Kim Jong Un.

"The direction of future development has become clearer and more defined," Xi said at a ​luncheon before his departure, according to Xinhua.

North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported after the summit that Xi and North Korean leader Kim discussed expanding bilateral cooperation and strengthening strategic communication, while deepening exchanges across political, economic and cultural sectors.

However, beyond the diplomatic niceties, Xi's first trip to North Korea since 2019 comes as Beijing has seen its traditional ally inch away from its orbit. Pyongyang has grown closer to Vladimir Putin's Russia, supplying both weaponry and manpower in exchange for Russian military know-how and other support.

"China seems to be trying to revive and upgrade a relationship that many observers had considered largely symbolic," Han Ki-bom, a former deputy director of South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS), told DW.

He added that Xi's visit was partly aimed at reducing North Korea's growing dependence on Russia, as Beijing has become increasingly concerned about North Korea's close military cooperation with Moscow since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine .

"This visit goes beyond improving bilateral relations," Han said.

"While the 2019 Xi-Kim summit largely focused on repairing and strengthening bilateral ties, this week's meeting suggests that Beijing increasingly views North Korea as a strategic partner in addressing broader international and regional challenges," he added.