# Kim Jong Un hails an "unshakeable will" alongside Xi Jinping > North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a congratulatory message to Chinese President Xi Jinping to mark the 105th anniversary of the - Author: Maxime Marquette - Publisher: MadMax (https://mad-max.co) - Section: Reportage - Published: 2026-07-05 - Canonical URL: https://mad-max.co/en/article/kim-jong-un-celebre-une-volonte-indefectible-aux-cotes-de-xi-jinping ## Introduction: a message that seals a strategic rapprochement ### A declaration for a political anniversary North Korean leader **Kim Jong Un** sent a congratulatory message to Chinese President **Xi Jinping** to mark the **105th anniversary** of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, calling their recent **summit** in **Pyongyang** a **"historic occasion"** to deepen relations, according to a report from North Korea's state agency **KCNA** relayed by Al Jazeera. The message, published on **July 1, 2026**, confirms the tightening **strategic** bond between the two capitals as **Pyongyang** multiplies its authoritarian alliances. Kim stated that his party's and government's **"unshakeable"** position was to steadily develop **"the DPRK-China friendly relations, which have a long historical root, with socialism as the core."** A formula that, beneath its protocol veneer, confirms an ideological orientation embraced without hesitation. *Beware of formulas that sound too polished for protocol. When **Kim Jong Un** talks about historical roots and shared **socialism**, this is not nostalgia — it is a declaration of **strategic** dependence, openly embraced, on **Beijing**.* ### The symbolic weight of June's summit This message directly echoes the **summit** held in **Pyongyang** on **June 8 and 9, 2026**, **Xi Jinping**'s first visit to **North Korea** in **nearly seven years**, according to South Korea's **Yonhap** agency as cited by Al Jazeera. Kim described the meeting as a moment that had **"deepened comradely friendship and trust"** between the two leaders. Choosing **North Korea** as **Xi Jinping**'s first foreign destination of **2026** is no minor protocol footnote. It is a powerful political signal sent to the entire region, and in particular to **Washington** and **Seoul**. *A head of state who deliberately chooses **Pyongyang** as his first international stop of the year sends a message no one should underestimate. This is not a scheduling coincidence — it is a declaration of intent.* ## The Pyongyang summit, a major diplomatic act ### A grand welcome for Xi Jinping The Chinese president and his wife **Peng Liyuan** were given a lavish welcome at Pyongyang's international airport, where thousands of citizens, including children carrying balloons, took part in a welcome ceremony in the central square, according to an NPR report. Flags of both nations and red-and-gold banners celebrating **"friendship and unity"** decorated the square for the occasion. This spectacular staging, typical of the North Korean regime, was meant as much to galvanize the local population as to send a message of power and international legitimacy to the rest of the world. ### An agenda focused on practical cooperation During talks held at the **Kumsusan State Guesthouse**, **Xi Jinping** pushed for stronger diplomatic, judicial, and **military** cooperation with **North Korea**, according to Chinese state media cited by Al Jazeera. No explicit mention, however, was made of the precise content of this expanded military cooperation, a vagueness that worries regional analysts. *This silence over the exact nature of Sino-North Korean military cooperation is not reassuring. When two authoritarian regimes speak of a military buildup without ever specifying its terms, the West is right to worry rather than take comfort.* ## The open refusal to discuss denuclearization ### An eloquent silence Neither Chinese nor North Korean media mentioned the question of **denuclearization** or North Korea's **nuclear** program during the publicly reported exchanges of the **summit**, according to a Brookings Institution analysis. This silence stands in sharp contrast to Xi's previous visit in **2019**, which came just months after the collapse of talks between Kim and the American president of the time over **nuclear** disarmament. This calculated muteness suggests that **Beijing** has, in effect, stopped treating North Korea's **nuclear** program as a priority security problem to be solved — a significant shift from China's historical position on the issue. ### An implicit legitimization of the nuclear arsenal Several analysts cited by The Diplomat believe that the absence of any Chinese pressure on **denuclearization** amounts to a de facto recognition of **North Korea**'s **nuclear** status by **Beijing**, a permanent member of the UN Security Council. This omission is no diplomatic oversight. It reflects a clear **strategic** choice: **China** prefers a stable, allied **North Korea**, even a nuclear-armed one, over a partner weakened by additional sanctions it could block at the Security Council. *A **China** that tacitly accepts North Korea's **nuclear** arsenal without ever saying so openly is a **China** playing a dangerous game with regional stability, solely to preserve its influence over its neighbor.* ## Renewed support for the one-China principle ### Kim aligns firmly on Taiwan **Kim Jong Un** expressed his full support for the **"one-China principle,"** which **Beijing** interprets as meaning both sides of the **Taiwan** Strait belong to a single nation, regardless of how the international situation evolves, according to remarks reported by The Diplomat. This unqualified, unreserved support illustrates just how closely **Pyongyang** now aligns its diplomacy with **Beijing**'s major **strategic** priorities, in exchange for steady economic and diplomatic backing. *Such total, unqualified support for China's position on **Taiwan** confirms that **Pyongyang** no longer has any independent diplomatic room to maneuver in the face of **Beijing**. It is the price of its economic survival.* ### A declaration heavy with meaning for the Indo-Pacific This North Korean positioning on **Taiwan** comes amid rising tensions in the South **China** Sea, where **Beijing** seeks to consolidate a united front with its regional allies against the American military presence in the region. ## China, the indispensable economic partner ### An overwhelming trade weight According to South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance, **China** accounted for nearly **98% of North Korea's foreign trade** in **2024**, a figure that illustrates **Pyongyang**'s near-total dependence on **Beijing** despite its spectacular rapprochement with Moscow in recent years, according to data cited by Al Jazeera. This structural economic dependence largely explains why, despite its increasingly close military alliance with **Russia**, **North Korea** continues to carefully tend its relationship with **Beijing**, which remains its sole long-term economic lifeline. ### Concrete cooperation projects Talks between the two leaders covered expanding cross-border cooperation in trade, tourism, and transport, as well as strengthening exchanges on diplomacy, law enforcement, and military affairs, according to an account from Chinese state media cited by the Brookings Institution. *This is no longer a simple relationship of economic vassalage. **North Korea** and **China** are methodically building an architecture of mutual dependence that goes far beyond trade to touch security, diplomacy, and potentially the military.* ## The China-Russia-North Korea triangle ### Kim between two great powers This **summit** comes as **Kim Jong Un** has significantly strengthened his alliance with **Vladimir Putin**'s **Russia**, notably by sending North Korean troops to the Ukrainian front, a dynamic that has paradoxically strengthened his negotiating position with **Xi Jinping**, according to a New York Times analysis. Kim thus skillfully navigates between his two main backers, exploiting the quiet rivalry between **Beijing** and Moscow to extract maximum economic and diplomatic concessions from both capitals without ever permanently alienating either one. *This **strategic** balancing act between **Beijing** and Moscow is not a sign of weakness on **Kim Jong Un**'s part — it is, on the contrary, a chilling display of diplomatic skill for a regime this isolated on the world stage.* ### An earlier meeting in Beijing This **Pyongyang** **summit** followed a meeting between Kim and Xi in **Beijing** in **September 2025**, during the military parade marking the **80th anniversary** of China's victory in the Second World War, where Kim had also rubbed shoulders with Vladimir **Putin**, according to Reuters. That scene of the three leaders gathered in **Beijing** will remain one of the most symbolic images of the formation of an unapologetic authoritarian axis confronting the international order led by Western democracies. ## Concerns in Seoul and Washington ### A legitimization that unsettles The fact that **Xi Jinping** chose **North Korea** as his first foreign destination of **2026** constitutes, according to the Brookings Institution, a **"significant recognition"** of Kim's regime, bolstering its legitimacy both domestically and internationally. This legitimization is particularly troubling for **Seoul**, which had hoped to see **Beijing** exert moderating pressure on its North Korean neighbor rather than reinforce its diplomatic posture and **strategic** confidence. ### Silence on a possible Kim-Trump summit South Korea's Unification Minister, **Chung Dong-young**, had voiced optimism that a **summit** between Kim and American President **Donald Trump** might be raised during Xi's visit, but neither Chinese nor North Korean media mentioned US-North Korean relations, focusing exclusively on bilateral Sino-North Korean ties, according to the Brookings Institution. *This total silence on any prospect of dialogue with **Washington** should be read as a clear signal: **Kim Jong Un** has, for now, no real interest in returning to the negotiating table as long as his alliances with **Beijing** and Moscow guarantee him economic stability and diplomatic cover.* ## A blueprint for the future of bilateral relations ### An ambitious roadmap North Korean state media described the **summit** as having produced a **"far-reaching action plan"** to strengthen the **"most powerful and strategic relations"** between the two countries, according to Al Jazeera. This rhetoric, though typical of North Korean communication style, reflects a genuine ambition to build this relationship on lasting foundations. *Behind the usual grandiloquence of North Korean propaganda lies a very concrete **strategic** reality: this alliance is no mere communications exercise — it is durably shaping the geopolitical future of the region.* A researcher at Seoul's **Sejong Institute** suggested this meeting could go down as one of the most significant between the two leaders, noting that the repeated use of the word **"strategic"** in both governments' official statements, combined with an unprecedented emphasis on military cooperation, indicates that **Beijing** increasingly recognizes **North Korea** as a **long-term strategic partner** in the growing geopolitical competition against **Washington** and its allies, according to the New York Times. ### The symbolism of the tree planted together The two leaders planted a fir tree at a major political training institution for party members, a gesture the **Xinhua** agency described as a symbol of **"ever-renewed friendship,"** according to Reuters. This kind of symbolism, however theatrical, is never chosen at random in North Korean or Chinese diplomacy. ## The 65th anniversary of a treaty still alive ### An alliance six decades old This year also marks the **65th anniversary** of the **Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance** between **China** and **North Korea**, a founding agreement of their bilateral relationship that the two leaders celebrated at a banquet hosted by Kim, according to Reuters. **Xi Jinping** declared on the occasion that Sino-North Korean relations had reached a **"new historic starting point,"** affirming Beijing's unwavering commitment to protecting the two countries' shared interests. ### A sharp contrast with the 2019 visit Xi's previous visit to **North Korea**, in **2019**, took place in a very different diplomatic climate, just months after the collapse of the Hanoi **summit** between Kim and Donald **Trump** over **denuclearization**. The contrast with today's atmosphere, marked by displayed confidence and a complete absence of pressure on the **nuclear** issue, is striking. *Seven years were enough for **China** to go from a cautious partner, still attentive to Western demands on **denuclearization**, to an ally that seems to have abandoned all pressure on the matter. This is a major **strategic** setback for the security of the Korean peninsula.* ## Pyongyang's domestic economic ambitions ### A five-year plan aimed at tourism **North Korea** has committed to a five-year development initiative aimed at turning tourism into a substantial economic sector and building more housing, a project for which Chinese economic support, possibly including shipments of rice and fertilizer, could prove decisive, according to an analysis by U.S. News. This bet on tourism, in a country as closed off as **North Korea**, remains largely conditioned on the full resumption of rail and air links with **China**, services that have been partially restored since the gradual lifting of post-pandemic health restrictions. *Betting on international tourism in the most closed and surveilled country on the planet borders on political fantasy, unless **Pyongyang** is preparing an opening far wider than official propaganda lets on.* ### A nuclear program presented as non-negotiable **Kim Jong Un** also called for an **"exponential"** increase in North Korea's atomic arsenal just days before the **summit**, a statement that drew no public criticism from **Beijing** during Xi's visit, according to U.S. News. ## Wang Yi's quiet role behind the scenes ### Professional diplomacy in support China's Foreign Minister, **Wang Yi**, along with **Cai Qi**, a member of the Chinese Communist Party's Politburo, took part in the **Pyongyang** talks, illustrating the high level of the Chinese delegation sent for the visit. Their presence confirms that **Beijing** treated this **summit** with the seriousness of a major state visit, not as a mere diplomatic formality. This senior delegation helped structure technical discussions running parallel to the symbolic exchanges between the two heads of state, notably on trade matters and the practical terms for resuming cross-border exchanges. ### A backstage diplomacy that matters as much as the speeches The bilateral meetings between senior officials, less publicized than the handshake between Kim and Xi, are often the ones that determine the real content of the agreements signed, well beyond the protocol formulas delivered before the cameras. *Attention often focuses on the handshake photos, but it is the technical meetings between career diplomats like **Wang Yi** that actually determine the concrete scope of these **summit**s. That is where the real decisions must be sought.* ## The visit to the Sino-Korean Friendship Tower ### A site steeped in military history **Xi Jinping** and **Kim Jong Un** together visited the Sino-Korean Friendship Tower in **Pyongyang**, a monument honoring the Chinese soldiers who died during the Korean War, a highly symbolic gesture recalling the shared military roots of the two regimes, according to a Reuters account. This choice of destination is never incidental in North Korean diplomacy. It recalls that the Sino-North Korean alliance is rooted in a shared military sacrifice dating back more than seven decades, an argument **Pyongyang** regularly deploys to legitimize its closeness to **Beijing**. ### A memory put to political use This staged act of remembrance also serves to remind the North Korean population that the alliance with **China** is not a matter of circumstance but a historic commitment, inherited from blood shed together, a narrative carefully maintained by state propaganda in both countries. *Using the memory of soldiers who died in combat to legitimize a contemporary alliance is a practice as old as state propaganda itself, but it remains formidably effective for binding together an isolated population.* ## The gray areas in the official account ### Diverging versions depending on the capital Analysts noted notable differences between the official Chinese and North Korean accounts of the **summit**: **Xinhua** emphasized high-level exchanges, trade, agriculture, and the restoration of transport links, while KCNA presented the meeting more broadly as a partnership between equals, according to the New York Times. This difference in tone, though subtle, reveals differing priorities between the two capitals: Beijing seeks to present a pragmatic, controlled cooperative relationship, while Pyongyang prefers to project an image of a balanced strategic partnership, flattering its own national prestige. ### What the silences reveal The fact that neither side specified the exact nature of the announced military cooperation is itself a crucial piece of information: in North Korean and Chinese diplomacy, calculated ambiguity is often just as revealing as explicit statements. *A diplomatic statement that does not say everything is never an accident. The vagueness maintained by Beijing and Pyongyang over their military cooperation deserves to be read as a deliberate strategic choice, not a simple drafting oversight.* ## Lessons from the earlier Kim-Trump summit format ### A striking contrast with the era of talks with Washington Only a few years ago, summits involving North Korea centered mainly on negotiation attempts with the United States over denuclearization, notably during the meetings between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump in Singapore and Hanoi. That era now feels far removed. The shift seen today, where Pyongyang's major summits now concern exclusively its relations with Beijing and Moscow, reflects a complete strategic repositioning of North Korea, which has apparently abandoned, at least for now, any prospect of meaningful rapprochement with Washington. ### A risky bet for the future This strategic choice carries risks for Pyongyang: by betting everything on its alliances with China and Russia, North Korea exposes itself to growing dependence on two powers whose interests could, over time, diverge from its own on sensitive issues like the Korean peninsula. *Betting its entire future on two allies whose interests might one day diverge from its own is a dangerous game for Pyongyang. But for now, that bet gives it a room to maneuver that no negotiation with Washington would ever have offered.* ## Conclusion: an alliance reshaping the regional balance ### A signal sent to the entire Indo-Pacific This seemingly routine congratulatory message confirms the solidifying of a strategic axis between Beijing and Pyongyang that is no longer limited to economics but now explicitly extends to diplomacy, law enforcement, and the military. This tightening, combined with the already solid alliance between North Korea and Russia, is drawing the outline of an increasingly coordinated authoritarian bloc facing the West. ### What the West must watch Western vigilance must now focus as much on official statements as on the calculated silences of these summits: the total absence of any mention of denuclearization, North Korea's alignment on Taiwan, and the vagueness maintained around the exact nature of Sino-North Korean military cooperation are all signals that call for a coordinated strategic response from Washington, Seoul, and their regional allies. **By Maxime Marquette, columnist** ## Columnist's transparency note ### Editorial stance I am not a journalist but a **columnist and analyst**. My expertise lies in observing and analysing the geopolitical, economic and strategic dynamics that shape our world. My work is to take political strategies apart, to understand global economic movements, to put the decisions of international actors in context and to offer analytical perspectives on the changes that are redefining our societies. I do not claim the cold objectivity of traditional journalism, which stops at reporting facts. **I claim analytical clarity**, rigorous interpretation and a deep understanding of the complex issues that concern us all. My role is to give meaning to the facts, to place them in their historical and strategic context, and to offer a critical reading of events. ### Method and sources This text keeps the basic distinction between **verified facts and interpretive analysis**. The rule never changes: a factual claim is published only when a verifiable source supports it, and the sources this article actually used are listed under **Sources**, never here. **Primary source families** used by the publication, when the story has them: official statements from governments and international institutions, public statements by political leaders, reports from intergovernmental organisations, dispatches from recognised international news agencies. **Secondary source families**: specialised publications, internationally recognised news media, analyses from established research institutions, reports from industry organisations. When an article cites statistical, economic or geopolitical data, it comes from the institutions that produce it (intergovernmental organisations, central banks, national statistics offices), and the exact institution is named under **Sources**. ### Nature of the analysis The analyses, interpretations and perspectives in the analytical sections of this article are a **critical, contextual synthesis** based on the information available, the trends observed and the expert comments cited in the sources consulted. My role is to interpret these facts, to set them in the context of today's geopolitical and economic dynamics, and to give them a coherent meaning within the larger story of the changes shaping our time. These analyses reflect expertise built through continuous observation of international affairs and an understanding of the strategic mechanisms that drive global actors. This article describes a documented state of affairs on its publication date, not a prediction: later developments may shift its outlook. No update is promised in advance; when an article is corrected or completed, the change is dated in the text. ## Sources ### Primary sources - Al Jazeera — North Korea's Kim hails 'unshakeable will' to develop ties with China's Xi, July 1, 2026 - Brookings Institution — China, North Korea, and the Xi-Kim summit, June 12, 2026 ### Secondary sources - NPR — Xi and Kim express hopes for greater ties between China and North Korea, June 8, 2026 - The Diplomat — Xi and Kim Agree to Strengthen 'Strategic Relationship' with Socialist Principles, June 9, 2026 - The New York Times — Behind the Pageantry in Pyongyang With Xi and Kim, June 9, 2026 - Reuters — China's Xi hails deeper understanding at end of North Korea summit, June 9, 2026 --- Source: Maxime Marquette, MadMax. 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