Kim Jong-un returns home with economic aid from China, security backing from Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un departs to Pyongyang from Beijing in his private train on Thursday, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s three-day visit to China secured key assurances from Pyongyang’s traditional allies: economic backing from Beijing and a security guarantee from Moscow.

With China and Russia apparently expanding their influence on Korean Peninsula affairs, observers say South Korea faces an increasingly complicated diplomatic landscape, needing to balance its alliance with Washington while managing relations with Beijing and Moscow in the face of Pyongyang’s nuclear threats.

Kim concluded his rare visit to Beijing on Thursday night, returning to Pyongyang aboard his armored train after attending a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

On the final day of his visit, Kim held a bilateral summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, their first meeting in nearly seven years.

The two leaders reaffirmed that the friendship between their countries would remain unchanged "no matter how the international landscape evolves," according to North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency on Friday. Xi described the nations as "good neighbors, friends and comrades" who share a common destiny and stand by each other.

Chinese media reported that Kim said North Korea is ready to expand mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation with China to achieve greater results.

Analysts interpreted the remarks as Beijing signaling expanded economic support for Pyongyang, which is grappling with a prolonged economic crisis. China — North Korea's largest trading partner — is largely seen as a critical lifeline for the heavily sanctioned country.

"China used to have significant influence over Korean Peninsula affairs, but has been somewhat sidelined over the past few years amid growing military ties between North Korea and Russia. With this Victory Day celebration and the Kim-Xi meeting, its influence on North Korea has been restored," said Yang Moo-jin, former president of the University of North Korean Studies.

Notably absent from statements released by either side was any reference to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula — contrasting sharply with the four Kim-Xi summits in 2018 and 2019, when the North pledged steps toward denuclearization and Beijing expressed support.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, clasps hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a bilateral meeting in Beijing, Thursday, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. Yonhap

"It will be hard to expect any visible efforts from China toward North Korea’s denuclearization, as Beijing has increasingly shunned what it sees as an unrealistic goal," said Cho Han-bum, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

The South Korean government, however, emphasized that China will maintain its position on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

An official at Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday that China "has confirmed on multiple occasions, including during the recent visit of the presidential envoy to China, that its basic position on Korean Peninsula issues remains unchanged."

"Denuclearization is the shared goal of the international community," the official added.

The presidential office declined to comment on the issue.

The Kim-Xi summit came just two days after the North Korean leader received a security guarantee from Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting in Beijing. Putin praised the bravery of North Korean troops sent to support Russia in the war in Ukraine, while Kim pledged continued backing for Moscow.

"Returning home, the Kim regime will begin to heavily promote its foreign policy line of 'security guarantee from Russia, economic support from China' both domestically and internationally," Yang said.

For Seoul, Kim's high-profile diplomacy underscores the complex challenges now confronting the Lee Jae Myung administration. Analysts say South Korea must carefully navigate its cooperation with Washington while also keeping channels open with China and Russia for inter-Korean communication.

The Lee administration will presumably use upcoming multilateral forums to raise its diplomatic profile.

The president is scheduled to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 23, where he is expected to seek broader international backing on North Korea-related issues.

The government also plans to leverage the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in late October in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, as another platform to rally international support for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

From left, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrive for a reception marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wednesday. Reuters-Yonhap

Meanwhile, analysts say the absence of a formal trilateral summit between Kim, Xi and Putin on the sidelines of the military parade underscored the limits of their partnership. After talks with Xi on Tuesday, Putin returned to Russia, while Kim went back to Pyongyang on Thursday.

Despite public displays of solidarity, the three nations' core interests appear somewhat misaligned, making formal talks or a joint statement difficult. Some analysts suggested that Xi avoided a trilateral meeting to prevent provoking the United States by forming an overtly anti-U.S. bloc ahead of planned tariff negotiations with President Donald Trump.

The U.S. and China recently extended a tariff truce until Nov. 10, fueling speculation that a deal could be reached in late October or early November. South Korea expects the upcoming APEC meeting to bring Trump and Xi together ahead of the high-stakes deadline.