Chinese president visits North Korea for the first time in 7 years

NPR | By Anthony Kuhn,

A Martínez

Published June 8, 2026 at 4:44 AM EDT

China's President Xi Jinping is in North Korea, his first trip in seven years, in a bid to reassert China's influence in the region.

Anthony Kuhn

Anthony Kuhn is NPR's correspondent based in Seoul, South Korea, reporting on the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and the great diversity of Asia's countries and cultures. Before moving to Seoul in 2018, he traveled to the region to cover major stories including the North Korean nuclear crisis and the Fukushima earthquake and nuclear disaster.

See stories by Anthony Kuhn

A Martínez

A Martínez is one of the hosts of Morning Edition and Up First. He came to NPR in 2021 and is based out of NPR West.

See stories by A Martínez

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