Image source, KCNA

Xi is accompanied on the state visit by some of the most important people in his government.

There's Cai Qi, the fifth-ranking member of the Chinese Communist Party's Politburo leadership and Xi's de facto chief of staff. Cai was recently appointed head of the Central Party school, an elite institution that trains senior Chinese officials - a move that speaks to his closeness to the Chinese leader.

Also in Pyongyang is defence minister Dong Jun, who notably skipped the Shangri-La Dialogue - an Asian defence summit and rare chance for Chinese and US officials to interact - last month for the second year in a row.

Also in Pyongyang are foreign minister Wang Yi, who had visited in April, and commerce minister Wang Wentao.

Laignee Barron
BBC World Service

Burgeoning ties with Russia have put Kim Jong Un in a better negotiating position than in 2019, analysts say.

“Pyongyang now has an alternative source of diplomatic and economic support, reducing its dependence on Beijing,” said Eun-ju Choi, an expert on North Korean economic systems at the Seoul-based Sejong Institute.

It's likely that Kim will use this newfound sway to secure concrete takeaways - such as expanded trade, energy and food assistance, as well as more Chinese tourists - from the summit, she added.

Ahead of the leaders’ meeting, Beijing restarted passenger train service to Pyongyang as well as direct flights from China’s flag carrier, as Pyongyang opens its doors wider after sealing its borders in 2020,

Prior to the pandemic, Chinese tourists constituted the majority of foreign travellers to North Korea, with the 350,000 who visited in 2019 providing a notable revenue stream for Pyongyang, according to NK News.

Last evening, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan were treated to an elaborate evening performance at the Pyongyang Gymnasium. Here's a look at how it went:

Ian Tang
BBC Monitoring

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between China and North Korea.

Signed in 1961, it is considered China's only legally binding defence pact with any country, and demonstrates Beijing's commitment to and influence on Pyongyang.

Article 2 of the Treaty stated that "in the event of one of the contracting parties being subjected to the armed attack by any state or several states jointly and thus being involved in a state of war, the other contracting party shall immediately render military and other assistance by all means at its disposal."

Although the China-North Korea relationship has waxed and waned over time, both countries have continued to keep the Treaty in force, with the last renewal taking place in 2021.

However, North Korea also signed a similar pact with Russia in June 2024, which soured Beijing's relations with Pyongyang.

Image source, Xinhua

China and North Korea are "linked by mountains and rivers and share a common destiny", Xi said in a speech during a dinner banquet last night, as reported by Chinese state news outlet Xinhua.

Xi also said that he had "reached [an] important consensus" with Kim to "grasp the trend of the times" and to "deepen both high-level cooperation and people-to-people bonds".

Image source, Xinhua

During his two-day visit to North Korea, Xi is staying in Kumsusan State Guest House, an exclusive residence in the heart of Pyongyang.

The Kumsusan guest house, built in 2019, is located near the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun - a mausoleum housing the bodies of North Korea's previous supreme leaders, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

The guest house was reportedly built ahead of Xi's visit to Pyongyang in 2019. Since then, it has hosted foreign leaders in recent years, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko.

Kim Jong Un is China's ally - but has become the 'comrade from hell'published at 03:17 BST

03:17 BST

Laura Bicker
China correspondent

China is moving to stabilise and reset its relationship with North Korea amid Pyongyang's growing alliance with Russia.

Concern in Beijing rose to a head in late 2024 as reports of North Korea deploying thousands of troops to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started emerging. Pyongyang reportedly receives financial compensation and military technology in exchange for these troops.

It increasingly appears as though China’s sanctioned neighbours are spiralling out of its control. Beijing, the senior partner in the triad, seeks to be the stable leader of a new world order, one that is not led by the US.

But that’s difficult to do when one ally has started a war in Europe and another is accused of aiding the invasion.

Analysts have noted that Kim has consistently flattered Putin over Xi in recent years - calling the Russian leader his "closest comrade", for example.

But even as Moscow may offer Pyongyang military and technological support, China remains North Korea’s only true economic lifeline, some analysts say.

If you're just joining us now - here's a recap of why exactly Xi is in North Korea:

Welcome back to our coverage of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea - his first trip to the country in seven years.

Xi, who is travelling with his wife, received a grand welcome in Pyongyang upon their arrival Monday: a military band performance, giant banners and what Chinese state news outlet Xinhua described as a "jubilant crowd".

In the evening they enjoyed a banquet with artistic performances.

Xi also held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The two leaders vowed to deepen bilateral cooperation, state media reported.

Today is the second and last day of his visit to Pyongyang. We'll bring you updates as we get them - stick with us.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has received a colourful welcome to Pyongyang for his first visit to North Korea in seven years.

He received a red carpet welcome from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju, as well as a guard of honour and crowds waving Chinese and North Korean flags.

Xi has praised relations between China and North Korea, saying they stand at a "new historical starting point" and that the pair are "shouldering new missions of the times", according to a state media report.

We're going to pause our live coverage for now, but will bring you more updates from this rare visit tomorrow.

Be sure to join us then.

Ian Tang
BBC Monitoring

President Xi usually travels out of the country three to four times a year, but his first foreign trip is a closely watched affair, as it often sends signals of Beijing's diplomatic priorities for the year.

Here are some of the countries Xi chose for his first foreign trip of the year over the past few years:

• In 2022, following a lengthy absence in overseas travel due to the pandemic, Xi visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in September - signalling a shift in increased engagements with Central Asia
• In 2023, Xi's first overseas trip was to Russia. That trip was also his first visit to Moscow since the start of the Ukraine war over a year ago. In total, Xi has visited Russia 11 times since 2013, more than any other country
• In 2024, Xi started his first trip abroad in May with a three-country tour of Europe, visiting France, Serbia and Hungary. It came at a time where Beijing faced growing tensions with Europe over the Ukraine war and trade frictions
• In 2025, Xi's first foreign trip was to the Asean states of Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia in April. It came less than a week after he held a high-level party conference stressing the importance of further enhancing relations with neighbouring countries

Image source, Xinhua

Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan arrived by car to Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square, where a military band and a "jubilant crowd" eagerly awaited their arrival, according to Chinese state news outlet Xinhua.

They were greeted by Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju, flanked by banners that read "Eternal Friendship between North Korea and China" and "Long Live the Unbreakable Friendship and Unity between North Korea and China", the report added.

Xi then reviewed the guard of honour of the Korean People's Army- the elite ceremonial unit of North Korea's military - who shouted, in Korean, "Wishing Comrade Xi Jinping good health".

Image source, Xinhua

On-the-ground footage posted by Xinhua showed an enthusiastic response from people attending the ceremony, with children jumping excitedly and crowds of people waving Chinese and North Korean flags and flower bouquets.

Image source, Xinhua

Suranjana Tewari
Asia Business Correspondent

China is North Korea's most important economic partner, accounting for the majority of the country's official trade.That relationship has become even more important as North Korea faces heavy international sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme.

Trade between the two countries remains strong this year. In the first two months of 2026, bilateral trade rose 22% compared with the same period in 2025.

North Korea gets most of its imports from China, including fuel, food, electronics, machinery, vehicles and textiles - giving Beijing significant influence over leader Kim Jong Un.

China is also an important gateway for North Korean exports. Many North Korean products reach overseas buyers through Chinese companies and ports.

Fake hair and wigs make up a large share of North Korea's exports. Other exports include minerals such as tungsten, as well as frozen seafood, iron and steel products, and watch components.

The UN says North Korea also earns money by sending tens of thousands of workers overseas, particularly to China and Russia, to work in sectors including construction, logging, manufacturing and fishing.

Image source, CCTV

Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju were seen welcoming Xi on arrival, with footage from state broadcaster CCTV showing them clapping and smiling. The clip shows the red carpet being rolled out and North Korean troops lining both sides of it.

The CCTV clip does not feature Xi and his entourage, although Xinhua separately reported that Kim and Xi shook hands, and that North Korean children presented flowers to Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan.

Updates are just trickling in - neither Chinese nor North Korean state media have publicly reported what the two leaders are up to right now - but we'll bring you the latest as we get them.

Jake Kwon
Seoul correspondent

Although Sorth Korea isn't part of this meeting, it is hoping Xi Jinping will nudge Pyongyang towards opening up to Seoul and Washington.

When the visit was reported, South Korea’s minister in charge of North Korea relations made a wishful guess that Xi might bring up resuming talks with the US.

North Korea has frozen out the South and the US for several years now, instead focusing on its relationship with Moscow and Beijing.

Seoul’s previous government also took a hard stance against Pyongyang, playing propaganda loudspeakers at the border and at one point dropping leaflets over Pyongyang.

But very few experts believe that resuming inter-Korean talks sits high on Xi’s list. And in Seoul, the expectations are just as low.

Yuna Ku
BBC Korean Service

Image source, Getty Images

Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Ju Ae, has become a familiar face at major state events. She accompanied her father to Beijing for last year’s Victory Day commemoration. However, she did not officially meet Xi during that visit.

That makes this trip an interesting one to watch. A formal meeting between Xi and Kim Ju Ae would almost certainly fuel speculation about succession – a message Beijing may prefer not to endorse too explicitly.

There could, however, be a middle ground. With Xi’s wife, Peng Liyuan, reportedly accompanying him on the trip, any interaction involving Kim Ju Ae could be presented as a family-to-family encounter rather than a political endorsement.

In North Korea, symbolism matters. Who appears in the photos can sometimes be just as revealing as what is said in the official statements.

Image source, EPA

South Korea must continuing pursuing its goal of North Korea's denuclearisation, Seoul's President Lee Jae Myung said as China's President Xi Jinping arrived in North Korea for a two-day visit.

"We should not give up on the goal of denuclearisation, because we cannot pursue nuclear armament ourselves," he told reporters on Monday, noting that "North Korea is still producing nuclear material even at this very moment".

In 2022, North Korea's Kim said the country's status as a nuclear weapons state has "become irreversible" and Pyongyang has vowed to never relinquish its weapons.

Chinese state media Xinhua News Agency has posted a video of Xi's plane touching down on the tarmac in Pyongyang.

North Korean soldiers are seen in the video standing at attention, while some troops are riding on motorcycles to escort the visitors.

There's a scene with a banner that reads, in Korean and Mandarin, "Long live the unbreakable friendship between North Korea and China!"

Image source, Xinhua News Agency

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Xi's trip to Pyongyang comes days after a flurry of diplomatic activity in Beijing.

This month, Xi welcomed two high-profile guests to China: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, on separate state visits.

Both of those visits were heavy on pomp and ceremony, and showcased the personal rapport between Xi and the two leaders.

These countries loom large in North Korean foreign policy: Pyongyang views the US as its main political enemy, and Russia as a growing friend to whom Kim has pledged unwavering support.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Yvette Tan
Live editor

Xi Jinping's last visit to Pyongyang took place in 2019 - the first meeting between Kim and Xi to have taken place in North Korea.

But a lot has changed in the past seven years.

In 2022, Russia launched a full scale invasion of Ukraine. Four years on, the war is still raging on - and it's brought Pyongyang and Moscow closer than ever.

An estimated 11,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to fight against Ukraine, and it is believed that in return for providing soldiers, Pyongyang received food, money and technical help from Moscow.

"What has changed is that Kim has consolidated ties with Russia, given the supply of troops and ammunition. That perhaps makes Pyongyang less reliant on [China], since they can secure oil, gas, and other raw materials confidently from Russia," said Professor Ian Chong of the National University of Singapore.

Russia aside, Kim also appears to be "exploring different directions" for his external policies, like "moving away from unification with South Korea".

Pyongyang recently revised its constitution to remove any references to reunification with the South, underscoring its push for a more hostile policy torwards Seoul.