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Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) and Kim Jong Un, President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), shake hands at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on September 4, 2025. / Photo via Reuters, Yonhap News

As Chinese President Xi Jinping pays a state visit to North Korea for the first time in seven years, US media interpreted this North Korea-China summit as a signal to restore bilateral relations and strengthen the North Korea-China-Russia trilateral framework, evaluating that it holds greater symbolic significance than tangible outcomes.

On the 7th (local time), Bloomberg News evaluated President Xi’s visit to North Korea as a move to reconfirm China’s influence after North Korea closely aligned its relations with Russia. It pointed out that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un intends to secure China’s backing while adhering to his policy line of strengthening nuclear capabilities.

Bloomberg News also analyzed that Xi planning his visit to North Korea following summits with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin reflects China's desire to strengthen its role as a strategic balancer in Northeast Asia.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) interpreted President Xi's visit—his first overseas trip this year—as a signal that China is seeking to reinforce the North Korea-China-Russia trilateral alignment by restoring ties with Pyongyang. It projected that North Korea intends to secure leverage in negotiations with the US by joining hands with China once again following its strengthened relationship with Russia.

In particular, the journal foresaw that leader Kim Jong Un felt the need to restore relations with China in preparation for the potential conclusion of the war between Russia and Ukraine.

The Washington Post (WP) evaluated that this summit holds immense symbolic meaning, while tangible economic and military cooperation outcomes are expected to be limited.

According to the report, China is adopting a strategy to manage its relationship with North Korea while minimizing international liabilities, with the intention of maintaining North Korea as a strategic buffer zone as a nuclear-armed neighbor.

The Financial Times (FT) noted the possibility of North Korea-China-Russia trilateral cooperation, but mentioned that concerns are also being raised regarding damage to China’s international image if it aligns too closely with North Korea.

The common evaluation among foreign media centers on the point that during this summit, North Korea is employing a strategy to justify its push to strengthen nuclear capabilities and boost its negotiating leverage against the US by restoring ties with China after its alignment with Russia; meanwhile, China is keeping North Korea as a strategic buffer zone while keeping a check on an excessive alignment with Russia.

                                                                                                           Park Jin-sook