China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit North Korea on April 9-10 as Beijing moves to restore relations strained by the COVID-19 pandemic and shifting geopolitical alignments. The visit follows resumed train and airline services between Beijing and Pyongyang and recent high-level meetings between the two countries' leaders. Beijing says it seeks stronger strategic communication and wider cooperation with the DPRK.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Visit North Korea on April 9-10 as Beijing Seeks to Reinvigorate Ties
FILE PHOTO: Members of the media raise hands to ask questions as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds a press conference on the sidelines of the National People's Congress (NPC), in Beijing, China, March 8, 2026. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
BEIJING — China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit North Korea on April 9-10, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, in an effort to revive bilateral ties that cooled after the COVID-19 pandemic and amid shifting geopolitics linked to the war in Ukraine.
Wang Yi, China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister, and his delegates meet with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho in Pyongyang, North Korea in this September 2, 2019 photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERS
Wang's last publicly known trip to North Korea as foreign minister was in late 2019, following reciprocal visits by the two countries' leaders earlier that year. The forthcoming visit underscores Beijing's push to rebuild momentum in China–DPRK relations after years of limited contact.
A Chinese flag on a tourist boat travelling on the Yalu river, which separates China and North Korea, near Dandong's waterfront skyline, in Dandong, Liaoning province, China, January 15, 2026. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
"China is willing to strengthen strategic communication with North Korea and enhance exchanges and cooperation," ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing, calling Wang's trip "an important move to advance bilateral ties."
Beijing has taken concrete steps to restore people-to-people and transport links: passenger train service between Beijing and Pyongyang resumed in March after a suspension that began in 2020, and flag carrier Air China has restarted flights between the two capitals.
A truck drives across the Friendship Bridge over the Yalu River separating North Korea from China as a Chinese flag flutters in the foreground, in Dandong, Liaoning province, China, January 14, 2026. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
The visit follows high-profile leader meetings and exchanges in recent months. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to Beijing in September by armored train to attend a major parade and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In October, Premier Li Qiang, China's No. 2 official, visited Pyongyang.
A man stands at a tourist viewing platform overlooking North Korea from the Chinese side of the Yalu River in Jian, Jilin province, China, January 15, 2026. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
Observers see Wang's trip as part of Beijing's broader strategy to draw Pyongyang closer after the pandemic and amid reports that North Korea has deepened ties with Moscow. While the Chinese ministry framed the visit in terms of consolidating and developing longstanding bilateral relations, analysts will watch for any discussions touching on regional security, economic cooperation, and diplomatic coordination.
Reporting note: The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced the schedule on April 8. Details of Wang's agenda in Pyongyang were not released at the time of the announcement.
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