China - North Korea move to deepen ties as top diplomats hold rare in-person talks

NORTH Korea and China have agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation and expand diplomatic exchanges following high-level talks in Pyongyang, in a meeting that underscored evolving regional alignments in Northeast Asia.

According to state media in both countries, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi met North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui on Thursday during a rare visit to the North Korean capital, marking Wang’s first trip to the country in seven years.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua News Agency reported that the two officials held discussions on current international and regional issues, though it did not specify the content of those exchanges.

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency likewise confirmed that both sides agreed to strengthen strategic communication between their foreign policy institutions.

However, neither side disclosed whether discussions included the United States, the war in the Middle East, or other sensitive geopolitical developments.

The meeting comes at a time of shifting diplomatic calculations in the region, ahead of expected high-level engagements between Washington and Beijing.

The visit also precedes a planned trip by U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing for a rescheduled summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in May.

Relations between Pyongyang and Beijing have historically been described as “as close as lips and teeth,” reflecting their long-standing strategic partnership.

However, recent years have seen questions raised over the strength of the alliance, as North Korea has increasingly expanded military cooperation with Russia, including reported support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine through troop and ammunition supplies.

China, meanwhile, has been viewed as cautious about being drawn into an overt anti-Western bloc alongside North Korea and Russia, despite continued diplomatic engagement.

Even so, both Beijing and Pyongyang have signalled renewed efforts to stabilise and reinforce their relationship. In September last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first summit in more than six years, during which they pledged mutual support.

More recently, bilateral connectivity has also been gradually restored, with North Korea and China resuming direct passenger flights and train services last month after their suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, signalling a cautious reopening of cross-border exchanges alongside renewed diplomatic engagement. - April 11, 2026