Xi–Kim Meeting Signals Shift in China’s Role in the Asian Trio
Putin, Xi, and Kim during the military commemoration in September 2025. Source : Sky News.
hinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged mutual support and enhanced cooperation during talks in Beijing following a World War II commemoration on September 4. Xi highlighted the “traditional friendship” between China and North Korea, while Kim praised the “friendly feelings” underpinning bilateral exchanges. The meeting was Kim’s first visit to China in six years, signaling a renewal of ties between the two countries and China’s reassertion of North Korea as a vital partner. With Pyong’s foreign policy heavily focused on Russia for the past three years, this has been an act for Pyong to regain Beijing’s support and consolidate strategic alignments. prompting the formation of a solid trio bloc between China, North Korea, and Russia.
The two countries’ economic allyship goes back several decades, and recent trends indicate their continued rapid growth. Between July 2024 and July 2025, Chinese exports to North Korea increased by 38.7%, going from $123 million to $170 million, while their imports saw a nearly 60% increase, from $21.8 million to $34.8 million. Such a quantity of trade illustrates China’s intention to have a powerful hold on North Korea’s economy, highlighting the strategic importance of Pyongyang to Beijing.
The deepening ties between the two countries have prompted the United States to issue sanctions on North Korea in critical areas such as food, energy, and finance. As China now accounts for 98% of North Korea’s official foreign trade, the underlying conditionality emerges where economic engagement becomes a lever for political outcomes. For the international community, this can showcase China’s current approach to North Korea’s nuclear disarmament. Improved economic conditions enhance domestic stability, reducing the need to maintain nuclear weapons. With a stronger economy, the country can bolster its national security through conventional military means, using resources generated internally rather than relying on nuclear deterrence.
The implications of this meeting extend well beyond economics. In September 2025, the U.S. Department of State sanctioned six North Korean targets to prevent the transfer of military materials, demonstrating Washington’s firm stance against Pyongyang’s military expansion. These actions reflect U.S. strategic interests in countering the growing influence of the China–Russia–North Korea alliance amid ongoing nuclear uncertainties.
On the other hand, the dynamics between China, North Korea, and Russia are subtle but evolving. Russia, North Korea’s longstanding ally, has provided the nation with financial support, diplomatic backing, and defense cooperation. The 2024 Treaty of Comprehensive Partnership was a cornerstone underscoring the high level of economic and military support between the nations, which promised assistance to ‘‘eliminate the emerging threat’’ in core areas from food and energy security to nuclear resources and artificial intelligence. Against this backdrop, Xi’s meeting with Kim represents a significant shift in the regional balance of power. China appears to be moving away from collaboration with the U.S. on Korean Peninsula stability, instead leveraging North Korea as a strategic buffer to counterbalance its deepening ties with Russia and promote a multipolar world resisting U.S. hegemony. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized opposition to “all forms of hegemonism,” while North Korea’s Choe Son-hui expressed a willingness to “jointly resist unilateralism and power politics and promote a fairer and more just world order.”
China’s stance on North Korea’s nuclear program illustrates the need for a careful balance between principle and pragmatism. Wang reiterated that China does not recognize the DPRK as a nuclear-armed state, asserting that the Korean Peninsula “cannot be nuclearized, whether the nuclear weapons are self-made or imported.” Yet Beijing also acknowledges that short-term denuclearization is unlikely. This dual approach reflects China’s strategy: maintaining North Korea as a valuable ally and buffer against U.S. military influence in South Korea, while preserving relatively stable relations with the U.S. and respecting the UN-led global framework. The public nature of Xi’s meeting with Kim signaled China’s willingness to strengthen this alliance openly and formalize it diplomatically.
By meeting Kim openly, Beijing has departed from its previous role as a discreet mediator between UN nuclear policy and its interest in keeping Pyongyang strong. Xi’s formal engagement with Kim challenges the US-led regional order, prompting Washington to bolster its influence in South Korea. With 28,500 U.S. troops stationed there, the Pentagon emphasizes “strategic flexibility” while encouraging Seoul to take on a larger share of defense responsibilities, expanding the South Korean military’s role on the peninsula.
As North Korea continues to enhance its nuclear capabilities with the support of consolidated allies, upholding international agreements is critical to preventing a Cold War–style arms race. Given the increasing risk of mutually assured destruction, Western countries must maintain strategic balance, avoid confrontation, and closely monitor developments in Asia. The China–North Korea alliance illustrates that economic ties, military developments, and diplomatic positioning are now deeply intertwined, raising the stakes for the U.S. and the international community at large.