Chinese leader Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea next week in first visit in years

People watch a TV screen showing a file image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

| Photo Credit: AP

Chinese leader Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea next week, both countries announced on Friday (June 5, 2026), in what will be his first visit in years.

The announcement came a day after North Korea unveiled a new facility to produce nuclear bomb fuels. During a visit to the plant, Mr. Kim announced plans to bolster the country's nuclear forces “at an exponential rate.”

Experts say the plant's disclosure implies that Kim is eager to cement his country's status as a nuclear weapons state ahead of Xi's visit to Pyongyang.

Published - June 05, 2026 09:13 am IST