BEIJING -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, will pay a state visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) from June 8 to 9 at the invitation of Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK.

Xi's upcoming visit, his first to the neighboring country in seven years, is expected to draw a new blueprint for the development of relations between the two parties and the two countries, inject strong impetus into the joint cause of socialist construction, and make new contributions to regional peace, stability and prosperity.

STRATEGIC GUIDANCE

In a congratulatory message to Kim on the 80th anniversary of the founding of the WPK, in October 2025, Xi noted that in recent years, he has held multiple meetings with Kim to guide and steer the development of relations between the two parties and two countries, opening a new chapter in the China-DPRK friendship.

In March 2018, the two leaders held their first meeting, during which they reached principled consensus in four aspects on developing China-DPRK relations in the new era. Xi and Kim met three times in less than 100 days that year, making history in high-level exchanges between China and the DPRK.

The two leaders exchanged visits in the first half of 2019 and in September 2025, Kim made another visit to China. Since 2018, the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries have held six meetings and maintained close communication in various forms, leading the China-DPRK relations to forge ahead in the new era.

The strategic guidance of top leaders of the two parties and the two countries is the greatest political advantage and strongest guarantee for the development of relations between the two sides.

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the signing of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, making Xi's upcoming visit to the DPRK even more important.

For the two sides, deepening the friendship has always been an unwavering strategic choice.

No matter how the international situation changes, it remains the unwavering policy of the CPC and the Chinese government to maintain, consolidate and develop China-DPRK relations, Xi said in the congratulatory message on the 80th anniversary of the founding of the WPK.

"This is a strategic choice and the only right choice both sides have made based on history and reality, the international and regional structure and the general situation of China-DPRK ties. This should not and will not change because of any single event at a particular time," he said in the meeting with Kim in 2018.

Over the years, Xi and Kim have had in-depth exchanges of views on major issues through various forms, supported each other on issues of major concern to each other, continuously consolidated mutual trust and built consensus.

Xi said in a meeting with Kim in Beijing last year that China has always maintained an objective and impartial stance, and stands ready to continue strengthening coordination with the DPRK so as to strive to maintain peace and stability of the peninsula.