Xi Jinping Makes First North Korea Visit in Years to Shore Up Alliance

—Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled to Pyongyang for a rare state visit, his first to North Korea in years, aiming to strengthen the two countries' strategic alliance. The summit comes amid the US-Iran war and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's growing strategic leverage from having supplied Russia with troops and weapons. Analysts see Beijing reasserting influence over an unpredictable nuclear-armed neighbor that has grown increasingly confident. China remains North Korea's economic lifeline, providing essential energy and trade that keeps the isolated state afloat. The visit signals Beijing's desire to maintain close coordination with Pyongyang at a moment of global geopolitical flux.