WorldPosted at: Oct 25 2026 6:46PM


Kim Jong Un vows to deepen China ties during surprise border visit, opens new bridge

Seoul, Oct 25 (UNI) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to strengthen ties with China during a surprise visit to the border city of Dandong, where he paid tribute to Chinese soldiers killed in the Korean War and crossed a newly opened bridge linking the two countries, state media reported on Sunday.
Kim arrived in Dandong on Saturday via the New Amnok River Bridge, also known as the New Yalu River Bridge, which connects the North Korean border city of Sinuiju with Dandong in China. The bridge opened earlier this month, more than a decade after its construction was completed in 2014.
The visit marks Kim’s first known trip to China since September 2025 and comes as Pyongyang seeks to reinforce relations with Beijing after deepening military and political cooperation with Russia, including support for Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
Kim was accompanied by senior North Korean officials, including Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, his sister Kim Yo Jong and Jo Yong Won, a member of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Presidium, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
In Dandong, Kim visited a memorial honouring Chinese soldiers who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War and met Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and a member of the Chinese Communist Party’s top leadership.
“We will always remember the history when the excellent sons and daughters of the Chinese people helped our revolution at the cost of their blood and steadily and firmly carry forward the history of the DPRK-China friendship,” KCNA quoted Kim as saying.
Kim’s visit coincided with the 76th anniversary of China’s entry into the Korean War, in which Chinese forces fought alongside North Korea against South Korean, US and other United Nations forces.
Wang conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s greetings to Kim and described the visit to the memorial as significant for preserving and developing the two countries’ traditional friendship and “militant fraternity”, KCNA reported.
Kim also visited a bus factory in Dandong before returning to North Korea across the newly opened bridge. As he crossed back into his country, he said the bridge would fulfil its “historic mission” of connecting the two nations and strengthening ties between their peoples, according to KCNA.
The visit was Kim’s sixth known trip to China since he took power in 2011, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported. During his previous visit in September 2025, Kim met Xi in Beijing and attended events marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and other foreign leaders.
China remains North Korea’s most important economic partner and a key diplomatic ally, despite Pyongyang’s recent efforts to strengthen ties with Moscow. North Korea has sent thousands of troops and conventional weapons to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, potentially in exchange for military and economic assistance.
Beijing, meanwhile, has sought to maintain its influence over Pyongyang as North Korea expands its strategic partnership with Russia.
Xi visited Pyongyang in June 2026, when the two leaders pledged to expand cooperation in political, economic and other fields.
Kim’s latest trip comes ahead of a planned Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China next month, which US President Donald Trump is expected to attend. Trump has expressed interest in resuming dialogue with Kim, although it remains uncertain whether the two leaders will meet.
The absence of a meeting between Kim and Xi during the Dandong visit has prompted questions among analysts about whether the trip signals preparations for renewed engagement with Washington.
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