Chinese President Xi Jinping (front left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (front right) watch a military parade during a welcome ceremony at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang on Monday. [Reuters]
Chinese President Xi Jinping (front left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (front right) watch a military parade during a welcome ceremony at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang on Monday. [Reuters]

China and North Korea used their summit Monday to deepen mutual cooperation, elevate bilateral ties and position themselves as a united front against the West, some analysts say.

The Washington Post said Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un celebrated an "unbreakable bond" between the two countries while projecting solidarity against the Western-led international order.

The New York Times highlighted Xi's emphasis on close strategic communication and stronger exchanges across all sectors, describing the visit as a move to counterbalance Russia's growing influence over Pyongyang. The paper said Xi used the trip to subtly remind Kim that China remains North Korea's most important benefactor, economic partner and shield against the United States.

"If Kim Jong-un can successfully balance his two great-power neighbors, he will feel even less constrained in developing nuclear weapons, which could further unsettle American allies in the region who are already worried about China's military rise and Washington's ability to honor its defense commitments," The New York Times said.

CNN said that while North Korea and Russia have grown closer, Beijing's clear message was that "China remains North Korea's most vital economic lifeline and diplomatic partner." The network added that for North Korea, Xi's visit opened another chapter in its long-standing balancing act — pursuing military and economic benefits from both China and Russia without becoming overly dependent on either.

China checked North Korea's deepening reliance on Russia at a manageable level, while North Korea leveraged its balancing diplomacy between the two powers to secure practical gains — including expanded economic cooperation — and assert its own strategic relevance, some analysts say.

The Wall Street Journal similarly reported that Xi sought to reassert Chinese influence over Kim, who has grown more emboldened through his close ties with Russia, as part of a broader effort to build a China-centered united front against the West. From Kim's perspective, one of the summit's main objectives was to secure the economic advantages that only China can offer without giving up his nuclear weapons, some analysts say.

Foreign media also noted that Xi focused on strengthening cooperation with North Korea to counter the Western-led international order while making no public mention of denuclearization.

The New York Times flagged the absence of any reference to North Korea's nuclear program in China's post-summit statement as a significant shift. Earlier joint statements had included language about cooperating to end the North's nuclear program, but such wording disappeared after Kim visited Beijing for a face-to-face meeting with Xi in September last year to mark China's Victory Day.

Bloomberg reported that Xi pledged to expand cooperation with Kim across trade, agriculture and technology, but made no public reference to North Korea's nuclear program. Rather than openly pressing Kim on denuclearization, Xi reaffirmed China's traditional role as North Korea's most important political patron and economic lifeline, Bloomberg said.

British outlets also characterized the summit as Beijing's attempt to recover influence over North Korea that has waned in recent years, saying China sought to check the growing Pyongyang-Moscow alignment and reassert its own sway — and in doing so, preferred to stay clear of nuclear negotiations.

"For Xi, North Korea is a neighbor China can neither control nor afford to lose," the BBC said. "Mistrust has strained the relationship for years, and China now wants to rebuild its leverage over a partner that is strategically vital but entirely unpredictable." The broadcaster added that China wants border stability and influence over North Korea but does not want to be drawn into a crisis triggered by Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions, concluding that Xi's visit "is more likely about influence than friendship."

Ankit Panda, a researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told the BBC that China wants to secure its interests regarding North Korea amid the rapid deepening of Pyongyang's ties with Moscow. Peter Ward, a North Korea specialist at the Sejong Institute, told the Financial Times that for Xi, traveling to Pyongyang to reset relations with Kim was about ensuring North Korea does not drift too close to Russia at China's expense.


kate01@heraldcorp.com