[Edaily Reporter Kim In-kyoung ] North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un made a surprise visit to Dandong, Liaoning Province, China. Without meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he met with Wang Huning, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the fourth-highest-ranking official in China, before returning to North Korea the same day. Given that Chairman Kim, whose foreign engagements are typically limited, crossed the border without holding a summit with President Xi, various interpretations are emerging regarding North Korea’s “true intentions.”

According to state-run media outlets such as North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency and China’s Xinhua News Agency on the 25th, Chairman Kim arrived in Dandong the previous day after crossing the New Yalu River Bridge, toured the Memorial Hall for Resisting U.S. Aggression and Aiding Korea, held talks with Chairman Wang, and returned home the same day. Chairman Kim’s visit to China came one year and one month after he attended the 80th anniversary of Victory Day celebrations in Beijing last September, marking his sixth visit since taking office. However, this is the first time Chairman Kim has visited China without meeting with President Xi. A same-day visit is also unprecedented. Although there had been speculation that he would meet with Premier Li Chang, China’s second-highest-ranking official, such a meeting was not included in the itinerary released by the state-run media of both countries. Both the duration of the visit and the individuals he met with differed significantly from his previous five visits to China.

Analysts suggest that Chairman Kim’s unconventional visit to China stems from his desire to expand economic cooperation between North Korea and China. While the visit was ostensibly to commemorate the 76th anniversary of the Chinese military’s participation in the Korean War, his decision to personally cross the New Yalu River Bridge—which opened on the 15th—signaled his commitment to expanding people-to-people and trade exchanges between the two countries. According to Chinese media, during the talks, President Wang expressed his intention to expand people-to-people exchanges and economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, taking the opening of the New Yalu River Bridge as an opportunity. Chairman Kim responded by stating that the prospects for cooperation between the two countries are very bright and that he hopes to expand practical cooperation to bring benefits to the people of both nations. Both sides directly expressed their expectation that economic cooperation between North Korea and China could gain full momentum, centered on the New Yalu River Bridge, which opened on the 15th.

Chairman Kim’s itinerary during his visit also supports the interpretation that the focus was on economic cooperation. Following a visit to the Memorial Hall for the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, Chairman Kim toured the Huanghai Automobile bus production facility in Dandong. Huanghai Automobile is a Dandong-based manufacturer of buses and commercial vehicles. Given the significant demand for vehicles for public transportation and freight transport within North Korea, it is possible that this visit reflected an intention to leverage China’s automotive manufacturing technology and production capacity as a new area of cooperation. At the midpoint of the New Yalu River Bridge, Chairman Kim also expressed his hope, stating, “There is no doubt that this bridge will accurately fulfill its historic mission of connecting the two countries and binding our hearts even more firmly together.”

North Korea desperately needs China’s help to expand its economic prospects. According to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), North Korea’s trade volume with China in 2024 totaled $2.64087 billion, accounting for 98% of its total foreign trade. While it has been suggested that North Korea may have reaped significant economic benefits through recent military cooperation with Russia—such as arms and ammunition deals—this is merely a result of the unique circumstances surrounding the war in Ukraine. China continues to play an overwhelmingly dominant role in the North Korean economy as a whole, including manufacturing, consumer goods, and raw materials. Choi Ji-young, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Unification, assessed, “North Korea’s economy—including manufacturing, consumer goods, agriculture, and imported raw materials—is dependent on China,” adding, “The expansion of economic cooperation following the North Korea-China summit last June was already anticipated.”

Attention is also focused on the possibility that the issue of a U.S.-North Korea summit was discussed during this visit to China. This is because there have been ongoing speculations that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim could meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit to be held in Shenzhen, China, next month. President Trump has also repeatedly expressed his desire to meet with Chairman Kim again. Yang Mu-jin, a distinguished professor at the Graduate School of North Korean Studies, said, “From Chairman Kim’s perspective, by appearing to discuss the issue of U.S.-North Korea dialogue with the Chinese side, he can elevate President Xi’s status as a mediator while also providing President Trump with an incentive to hold a U.S.-North Korea summit ahead of the midterm elections.” “In particular, the fact that Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui were present at the meeting between Chairman Wang Huning and Chairman Kim is evidence that the U.S.-North Korea agenda may have been brought to the table,” he analyzed.

However, there was no mention of a U.S.-North Korea summit in the details of the meeting released by the media of both countries. Given that a summit with President Xi did not take place and the visit was brief, some observers remain cautious about the possibility that specific plans for U.S.-North Korea negotiations were coordinated. Earlier, Reuters reported, citing remarks from South Korean and U.S. officials, that the likelihood of a U.S.-North Korea summit taking place within the year is very low.