# Xi Jinping meets North Korea's premier in Beijing as China-DPRK friendship treaty reaches 65th anniversary
> Chinese President Xi Jinping met North Korean Premier Pak Thae-song in Beijing on July 10, the first high-level visit by Pyongyang to Beijing in years, timed to the 65th anniversary of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance; Xi called for a stronger 'combat friendship forged in blood,' invoking the Korean War alliance

**Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-07-10 · heads: The Long Game, What They're Not Saying · 9 takes · 4 lenses · 5 regions

## Summary

[North Korea](/en/entity/north-korea)'s Cabinet Premier Pak Thae-song arrived in [Beijing](/en/entity/china) on July 10 to attend events marking the 65th anniversary of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance, signed in 1961. [Xi Jinping](/en/entity/person/xi-jinping) met Pak personally, an unusual step for a premier-level visit, and called on both sides to strengthen a "combat friendship forged in blood," a phrase invoking Chinese and North Korean soldiers who fought together in the Korean War. The MFA readout from Beijing described Xi as calling for stronger strategic coordination, with [Kim Jong UN](/en/entity/person/kim-jong-un) not present. Pak's visit is among the most senior DPRK engagements with Beijing in recent years, coming as China and North Korea have deepened defence ties and as Pyongyang continues to resist returning to international diplomacy.

## The split

South Korean media, the Korea Times and Kyunghyang Shinmun, tracked the visit primarily for security signals, asking whether Beijing would use the occasion to offer Pyongyang arms-related or economic commitments. SCMP read Xi's "combat friendship" language as a rare deliberate signal of solidarity, noting the phrase directly invokes the Korean War and carries heavier weight than standard diplomatic language. The Chinese MFA readout focused on mutual benefit and long-term bilateral stability. North Korean state media's framing was not available in the crawl feed.

## By the numbers

- 65, years since the 1961 China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance was signed
- 1961, the treaty's origin date, during the early Cold War alignment of socialist states
- Pak Thae-song, DPRK Cabinet Premier, a senior government figure though below Kim Jong-un in the hierarchy

## Why it matters

The China-DPRK alliance is the primary diplomatic lifeline for [North Korea](/en/entity/north-korea) and the main constraint on international pressure against Pyongyang's nuclear program. Xi's personal attendance at the meeting, rather than delegating to a vice premier, signals Beijing is investing in the relationship at a moment when its strategic rivalry with Washington is intensifying. The treaty's mutual-aid clause has rarely been invoked, but its continued existence constrains what any US-led coalition could do militarily on the [Korean Peninsula](/en/entity/korean-peninsula).

## What to watch

- Whether any economic or military cooperation agreements were signed or announced alongside the anniversary events
- Kim Jong-un's absence and whether a separate Xi-Kim summit follows
- North Korean state media's framing of the visit, for any departure from standard alliance language

## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens)

### unlabelled
- **Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs** (China, en) — Official MFA readout of Xi Jinping's meeting with DPRK Cabinet Premier Pak Thae-song in Beijing on July 10, confirming the meeting took place.
  Source: https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xw/zyxw/202607/t20260710_11979902.html
- **SBS (South Korea)** (South Korea, en) — 
  Source: https://news.sbs.co.kr/english/article.do?news_id=N1008651663
- **Kyunghyang Shinmun (second report)** (South Korea, en) — 
  Source: https://www.khan.co.kr/en/article/202607101505007/
- **UPI** (United States, en) — 
  Source: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/07/10/China-Xi-Jinping-met-North-Korea-Premier-Pak-Thae-song-Beijing/3341783677513/
- **The Nation Thailand** (Thailand, en) — 
  Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/world/40068486
- **Chinese Embassy (Washington)** (China, en) — 
  Source: https://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/zgyw/202607/t20260710_11979902.htm

### Hong Kong English-language, Beijing diplomatic framing
- **South China Morning Post** (Hong Kong, en) — SCMP reported Xi's use of the phrase 'combat friendship forged in blood' as rare and significant language, calling it a boost to strategic coordination; the paper highlighted North Korea's isolation and noted the visit is the highest-level exchange in years, framed as part of China's counter-pressure to US alliances in the region.
  > "Xi Jinping called to boost strategic coordination as North Korean premier visits Beijing to mark 65th anniversary of the Sino-North Korean friendship treaty."
  Source: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360100/china-boosts-north-korea-partnership-rare-praise-during-high-profile-visit

### South Korean security perspective, Korean Peninsula implications
- **The Korea Times** (South Korea, en) — Korea Times read the visit as a deliberate signal from Beijing ahead of treaty anniversary events, noting the pairing of Pak's trip with Xi's personal welcome elevates the occasion beyond a ceremonial milestone; Seoul-based analysts tracked the visit for signs of arms or economic commitments to Pyongyang.
  > "Xi Jinping met North Korea's premier in Beijing on Friday ahead of an event marking the 65th anniversary of the friendship treaty."
  Source: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/foreignaffairs/northkorea/20260710/xi-meets-n-koreas-premier-ahead-of-65th-anniv-of-friendship-treaty

### Korean opposition daily, diplomatic scrutiny
- **The Kyunghyang Shinmun** (South Korea, en) — Khan reported from Seoul that Xi held the meeting with Pak after the DPRK delegation arrived the same morning, and that China's Xinhua described Xi's tone as emphasising mutual benefit and 'unwavering support' for the bilateral relationship; the outlet noted North Korea rarely allows its premier to travel abroad.
  > "Chinese President Xi Jinping met North Korean Premier Pak Tae-sung, who visited Beijing. China's Xinhua said Xi expressed unwavering support for the bilateral relationship."
  Source: https://www.khan.co.kr/en/article/202607101840007/

## Across the graph
- Entities: Person:xi Jinping, Person:kim Jong UN, China, North Korea, Korean Peninsula

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