China's Top Envoy Visits North Korea to Advance Xi-Kim Cooperation Plan

On July 16, 2026, Kim Jong Un met China's fourth-highest official, Wang Huning, in Pyongyang. Both pledged to carry out a cooperation blueprint from Xi Jinping's June visit — his first head-of-state trip to North Korea in seven years. Xi had sought diplomatic, law enforcement, and military ties. Wang affirmed China's "firm support" for Kim's leadership of Korean socialism.