China's Strategic Gamble: Xi's Pyongyang Visit Signals Concern Over North Korea's Russian Tilt

Xi Jinping's June 2024 visit to Pyongyang—his first in seven years—came as North Korea deepened military ties with Russia through a mutual defence pact. Beijing faces pressure: closer Russia-DPRK alignment erodes China's traditional leverage over the peninsula and risks a strategic buffer zone slipping beyond its control. The timing of Xi's visit before Putin's suggests Beijing is reasserting influence, signalling to Pyongyang that China remains indispensable despite Moscow's courtship.