How Kim visit saw China give ‘full-throated’ backing to N Korea on world stage

From a rare multilateral debut at Tiananmen Square to a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, followed by an exclusive banquet, Beijing’s privileged treatment of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was a calculated display of solidarity between the two communist neighbours, analysts said.

In a subtle yet seismic shift, Beijing notably avoided any mention of “denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula” during what was Kim’s first visit to China in over six years.

Instead, Beijing emphasised its special bond with Pyongyang and the region’s “peace and stability” amid a deepening China-US rivalry.

With ties to China restored and reinforced by Xi’s pledges of further economic support, pundits said Kim’s visit had strengthened Pyongyang’s alignment with both Beijing and Moscow, while boosting his leverage in regional politics.

Xi Jinping greets WWII veterans with Putin and Kim

Xi Jinping greets WWII veterans with Putin and Kim

In a meeting with Kim at the Great Hall of the People, Xi described their two countries as “good neighbours, good friends and good comrades who have shared weal and woe and helped each other in time of need”.