China re‑centers North Korea ties as nuclear silence reshapes balance

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, Chinese President Xi Jinping (center left) shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (center right) during a welcome ceremony in Pyongyang on Monday. 朝鮮通信社/KCNA via KNS via AP hide caption

SEOUL/SHANGHAI — The leaders of China and North Korea reaffirmed their alliance this week in Pyongyang, emphasizing strategic cooperation while avoiding public discussion of North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

The two-day trip — President Xi Jinping's first to North Korea in nearly seven years — comes shortly after his summit with President Trump in Beijing, where the White House said both sides agreed on the shared goal of denuclearizing North Korea.

Beijing did not publicly echo Washington's claim. And this week in Pyongyang, Xi made no public mention of denuclearization.

Instead, Xi focused on China's "firm commitment to safeguarding the shared interests of the two countries and preserving a favorable strategic environment," according to Chinese state media.

North Korea's state media, meanwhile, quoted leader Kim Jong Un as saying that ties with China are "the most important and primary strategic undertaking" of his country.

This language suggests Kim is trying to balance his relationship with both Beijing and Moscow, elevating China's diplomatic significance after a period of closer alignment with Russia.

Xi's silence on North Korea's nuclear program came as Kim tried to convince the world of the irreversibility of his country's status as a nuclear power.