North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping held summit talks in Pyongyang but neither side made any reference to North Korea's nuclear program.
The summit marked Xi's first visit to the North since 2019 and followed his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing last month when the White House said the two leaders confirmed their shared goal of denuclearizing North Korea. According to state media reports from both countries the leaders agreed to expand exchanges in politics economy culture and science and to step up high-level contacts. Xi sent Kim a letter thanking him for the fruitful talks and warm hospitality saying relations had entered a new historical journey. Experts said China appeared more focused on countering U.S. regional influence than on addressing North Korea's nuclear program. Patrick Cronin chair for Asia-Pacific security at the Hudson Institute told Yonhap that China is more focused on denying U.S. influence than denying North Korea nuclear weapons. South Korea's Foreign Ministry reaffirmed that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula remains a consistent goal of the international community and noted that China has repeatedly reaffirmed its position on the issue.
