China has expressed its readiness to work with North Korea to further strengthen bilateral relations, according to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a meeting with his North Korean counterpart in Pyongyang, state media Xinhua reported.
Beijing has been seeking to draw Pyongyang closer again after relations cooled during the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to a freeze in cross-border exchanges. During that period, North Korea also deepened ties with Russia, including military support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Wang said China is prepared “to continue consolidating the positive momentum in the development” of bilateral relations during his meeting with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, Xinhua reported.
His visit, which took place from April 9 to 10, is seen as a significant step in restoring high-level engagement. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning described the trip as an important move to advance diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Wang’s last publicly known visit to North Korea as foreign minister was in 2019, following a series of leadership exchanges between the two nations earlier that year.
The renewed engagement comes ahead of a planned summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in May, adding further geopolitical significance to Beijing’s diplomatic outreach.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced interest in restarting direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his second term, although no meeting has yet taken place.
Relations between Beijing and Pyongyang have shown signs of recovery in 2025, highlighted by Kim Jong Un’s visit to Beijing in September for a military parade attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders, where he also met Xi Jinping.
That was followed by a visit to Pyongyang by Chinese Premier Li Qiang in October, further reinforcing high-level exchanges between the two allies.
Economic ties have also strengthened, with China’s exports to North Korea reaching a six-year high of US$2.3 billion in 2025, marking a 25 per cent year-on-year increase. In return, North Korea publicly supported Beijing’s position on Taiwan and adjusted its stance on regional nuclear policy issues.
Transport links between the two countries have also resumed, with passenger train services between Beijing and Pyongyang restarting in March after a six-year suspension due to the pandemic. Air China has also resumed flights, although travel remains limited mainly to approved business travellers and students rather than tourists.
