Xi caps whirlwind month of diplomacy with North Korea visit
Chinese President Xi Jinping has packed more high-level diplomacy into the past month than most leaders manage in a year.
In the space of less than 30 days, Xi has met the leaders of the world's three largest military powers: the United States, Russia and China itself. His latest stop was Pyongyang, where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rolled out a lavish welcome for the Chinese president during his first visit to the country in nearly seven years.
Xi's visit to North Korea comes as Beijing seeks to strengthen ties with its long-time ally amid Pyongyang's growing relationship with Moscow and rising tensions across East Asia. The two leaders pledged deeper cooperation and reaffirmed the importance of their decades-old partnership.
The Pyongyang trip followed a busy diplomatic schedule in Beijing.
In mid-May, Xi hosted US President Donald Trump for a closely watched summit aimed at stabilising relations after years of trade disputes and strategic competition between the world's two largest economies.
Less than a week later, Xi welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Chinese capital. The two leaders reaffirmed their strategic partnership and issued a joint statement criticising aspects of US foreign policy, underscoring the growing importance of Sino-Russian ties.
Taken individually, each meeting reflected a different set of interests and priorities. Together, however, they highlight China's unique position in an increasingly fragmented world.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
