In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, (front row L-R) Russian President Vladimir Putin walks alongside Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko before a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II, in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3, 2025. Sergey Bobylev/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to Pyongyang did little to rein in North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, a diplomatic shortfall that experts warn threatens to destabilize Northeast Asia.
Xi said on June 9 that he reached an “important consensus” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on developing bilateral relations as he wrapped up a two-day visit to Pyongyang, according to Chinese state-run media Xinhua.