— North Korean leader Kim Jong-un traveled to Beijing this week, attended a Chinese military parade with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, held a summit with Xi and left without any public commitment to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, marking a diplomatic advance for Pyongyang.
Key Takeaways
- The summit in Beijing was Kim’s sixth meeting with Xi Jinping; it was their first in six years.
- Official statements omitted any pledge to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.
- Kim stood alongside Xi and Putin at a high-profile military parade that emphasized China’s strategic messaging.
- South Korean intelligence released an estimate of up to 2,000 North Korean combat deaths linked to deployments in Russia.
- Chinese and Russian moves at the U.N. and in diplomacy have reduced pressure on Pyongyang’s weapons programs.
- Both states’ media reported vows to strengthen bilateral ties and increase economic and trade cooperation.
Verified Facts
Kim Jong-un visited Beijing in early September 2025 and attended a Chinese armed forces parade. State media imagery showed the three leaders—Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Kim—on the reviewing platform, with Kim positioned to Xi’s left and Putin to Xi’s right.
North Korean and Chinese official accounts of the summit announced a pledge to “consolidate relations no matter how the international situation may change,” without mentioning the denuclearization language that appeared in earlier joint statements between Beijing and Pyongyang.
North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests since 2006; that testing history and Pyongyang’s public weapons programs were cited repeatedly by analysts as context for the meeting’s significance.
South Korean intelligence publicly released an estimate this week that as many as 2,000 North Korean troops died while fighting in support of Russia’s operations in Ukraine. The estimate was cited in media accounts and by analysts discussing deeper Moscow–Pyongyang ties.
Chinese state media (Xinhua) reported that Kim raised the prospect of expanded economic and trade cooperation with China. Trade and logistics ties with China remain critical to North Korea’s external commerce.
Context & Impact
The omission of denuclearization from summit communiqués signals a diplomatic shift: analysts say Beijing and Moscow appear to be accommodating Pyongyang’s insistence that its nuclear arsenal be treated as a settled fact rather than an item for removal.
That shift has practical consequences. Russia and China have in recent years used their U.N. Security Council positions to oppose or block new sanctions on North Korea, allowing Pyongyang greater latitude to advance missile and nuclear-capable programs.
For the United States and its allies, the new posture raises the diplomatic bar for any future U.S.–North Korea talks: with stronger backing from two Security Council permanent members, Kim can claim greater international legitimacy and bargaining leverage.
- Regional security: A North Korea increasingly treated as a de facto nuclear power complicates deterrence planning in Northeast Asia.
- Sanctions regime: Continued vetoes or diplomatic resistance weaken multilateral sanctioning as a tool to constrain missile and nuclear tests.
- Economic ties: Expanded China–North Korea trade could reduce Pyongyang’s incentives to negotiate arms limitations.
“We will consolidate our relations no matter how the international situation may change.”
Chinese and North Korean state media
Unconfirmed
- Precise details and scope of the weapons, materiel or personnel transfers between North Korea and Russia remain contested and not independently verified in open-source reporting.
- The South Korean intelligence estimate of up to 2,000 North Korean fatalities in Ukraine is subject to confirmation and may be revised as new information emerges.
- Any private agreements or undisclosed security guarantees made during the Beijing summit have not been published; such claims remain unconfirmed unless released by the parties or corroborated by independent sources.
Bottom Line
Kim’s Beijing trip reinforced Pyongyang’s diplomatic gains: high-visibility engagement with China and Russia signals growing tolerance of North Korea’s nuclear program and boosts Kim’s bargaining position. The developments complicate efforts by the U.S. and allies to resume denuclearization talks and may shift regional security calculations in the months ahead.