Xi Jinping to visitXi Jinping to visit North Korea next week
Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea on June 8-9 for a state visit, according to announcements from Beijing and Pyongyang on Friday.
The trip will be Xi’s first to the country since 2019 and comes as Kim Jong-un expands North Korea’s nuclear program, making the visit significant for regional security and China’s role in Pyongyang.
- Xi last visited North Korea in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped regional diplomacy.
- North Korea and China share a border that has long made Beijing its most important external partner.
- China is North Korea’s largest trading partner, giving Beijing unusual leverage over the isolated state.
US-China Indo-Pacific Rivalry
China and Taiwan coast guard vessels have repeatedly faced off near the Pratas Islands, with the latest standoff showing how small maritime incidents around Taiwan can quickly become confrontations.[1][5] The episode adds to wider U.S.-China military tension across the Indo-Pacific, where Beijing is expanding patrols and Washington is reinforcing regional deterrence.[2][3] The rivalry now centers on preventing miscalculation around Taiwan, the South China Sea, and nearby sea lanes.[1][3][5] It also shapes defense planning by Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States as all sides weigh coercion, sovereignty claims, and the risk of escalation.[2][3]
24 May, 07:39 AM
Taiwan and China coast guards face off near Pratas islands1 January
The United States adopts a sharper great-power competition strategy focused on China
