Was Kim Jong-un the real winner from Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea?

AI Summary

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea enhanced Kim Jong-un’s international standing, marking a strategic diplomatic success. The visit reaffirmed economic and cultural ties between China and North Korea amid Pyongyang’s growing closeness with Russia and its involvement in the Ukraine conflict.

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea this week helped to improve Kim Jong-un’s international standing and gave him a “big strategic win”, analysts said. Pyongyang has become increasingly close to Russia in recent years and has sent thousands of troops to support its war against Ukraine, but Xi’s visit reinforced the long-standing economic and cultural ties between China and North Korea. It was the Chinese leader’s first foreign trip of the year and came less than a month after he...