June 17, 2026
The world should welcome Xi Jinping’s efforts to improve ties with North Korea
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to North Korea has raised alarm among some security watchers, who have interpreted the trip as revealing a new tack to the DPRK’s nuclear weapons or even a consolidation of an anti-U.S. axis headed by Beijing.
Such conclusions are premature. Xi’s trip more likely reflects China’s longtime attempt to stabilize its own neighborhood, and in this sense, the U.S. and its allies should welcome his visit as a step toward a more “normal” and less dangerous Pyongyang.
