[COVER STORY] Kim Jong-un's China trip reaffirms 'blood ties' as Beijing watches Moscow

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited the Korean War memorial in Dandong, China, on Saturday to reaffirm the countries’ historic ties as Pyongyang’s closer alignment with Moscow drew Beijing’s attention. He met senior Chinese officials Wang Huning and Wang Yi, but not President Xi Jinping. Kim crossed the newly opened New Amnok River Bridge, which experts said could support more frequent exchanges and expanded trade. Experts differed on whether the visit was connected to possible talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Memorial Hall of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea commemorates Chinese troops who fought alongside North Korean forces in the 1950-53 Korean War.

Wang Huning chairs the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and is a member of the Communist Party’s Political Bureau Standing Committee.

The two countries agreed to build the New Amnok River Bridge in 2010, and China completed construction in 2014, but it remained unused for years because North Korea lacked connecting roads and customs facilities.

The bridge opened on Oct. 15 after more than a decade of delay.

Experts cited the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November as a possible setting for renewed U.S.-North Korea dialogue, but Hong Min said there was no clear indication linking Kim’s visit to such talks.

Published Oct 25, 2026 4:22 pm KST

Updated Oct 25, 2026 5:49 pm KST

Experts see little evidence of preparations for renewed talks with Washington

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un lays a flower basket at the Memorial Hall of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea in Dandong, China, Saturday. Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s trip to the Chinese border city of Dandong, made days before the anniversary of Chinese troops entering the 1950-53 Korean War, was aimed at reaffirming the historic blood ties between the two countries at a moment when Pyongyang’s alignment with Moscow has drawn Beijing’s attention, experts said.

North's state-run Rodong Sinmun on Sunday reported Kim's visit to the Memorial Hall of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea in Dandong the previous day. The state media repeatedly emphasized Kim's paying tribute to fallen Chinese troops, remembering their shared history of fighting alongside North Korean forces and preserving ties forged in blood.

Kang Dong-wan, a professor of North Korean studies at Dong-A University, said the focus on China’s role in the war was deliberate, coming after a period in which the Beijing relationship had weakened relative to Pyongyang’s deepening partnership with Moscow, including the North’s troop deployment to Russia.

"Kim's decision to visit the Memorial Hall among other possible destinations appears to intend to highlight the historic blood ties between North Korea and China," Kang said.

Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, read the visit as carrying a message beyond the bilateral relationship.

"North Korea and China reaffirmed their shared history of fighting against the U.S. and their blood-forged alliance," he said, underlining North Korean media's repeated emphasis on their blood ties.

"This could also be a message to Washington not to expect anything that could undermine North Korea-China relations or their shared interests."

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meets Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, during his visit to Dandong, China, Saturday. Yonhap

Who greeted Kim and what it signals

Kim did not meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during the trip. He instead held talks with Wang Huning, China’s fourth-ranking official, who chairs the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and sits on the Standing Committee of the Communist Party’s Political Bureau, along with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Kang said the absence of a Xi meeting was unremarkable given the trip’s purpose.

"As Kim sought to express gratitude to China and reaffirm bilateral friendship, a meeting with Xi was not the main purpose of the visit in the first place," he explained, pointing to scheduling issues.

"Chinese Communist Party's fifth plenum is reportedly scheduled for next week. This could have contributed to the absence of not only Xi but also Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who had originally been reported to welcome Kim," Hong said.

"However, the presence of Wang Yi and other senior officials handling foreign affairs and North Korea-related matters indicated that the visit was not downgraded in terms of diplomatic protocol."

Kim’s day trip drew attention for the route he took — the New Amnok River Bridge, which opened on Oct. 15 after more than a decade of delay. The two countries agreed to build it in 2010, and China completed construction in 2014, but the crossing sat unused for years because the North Korean side lacked connecting roads and customs facilities.

"This demonstrates that Kim can now visit China for strategic consultations within a single day, allowing for more frequent high-level exchanges between the two countries," Hong said.

The route also carries an economic message, signaling Pyongyang's willingness to strengthen trade ties with Beijing.

"By personally endorsing the full operation of the New Amnok River Bridge, Kim demonstrated his commitment to expanding cross-border trade and economic cooperation," said Yang Moo-jin, a distinguished professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump pose for a photo ahead of their summit in Singapore in June 2018 during the latter's first presidential term. Yonhap

N. Korea-US talks unlikely

While some experts say the possibility of talks between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump cannot be ruled out, particularly ahead of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November, others remain skeptical.

With renewed dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang being discussed and given Kim's multiple visits to China during his talks with Trump between 2018 and 2019, it is difficult to rule out a possible link between his latest visit and potential Trump-Kim talks.

"Given Wang Huning's close ties to Xi Jinping, indirect communication between Kim and Xi may have taken place through Wang," said Yang. He also did not rule out the possibility of Wang visiting Pyongyang as Xi's special envoy or Kim being invited to China around the APEC summit.

However, others evaluated the likelihood of a Trump-Kim meeting low.

"It is highly unlikely that Kim discussed a potential meeting with Trump during his visit to China," said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies. "There is little circumstantial evidence suggesting that Kim is acting with a potential U.S.-North Korea summit or his negotiating leverage in mind."

Hong also said there was no clear indication linking Kim's latest visit to the possibility of renewed talks with Washington.

朝鲜领导人金正恩周六访问了位于中国丹东的朝鲜战争纪念馆，重申了朝美两国的历史渊源。与此同时，平壤与莫斯科日益密切的联系引起了北京的关注。他会见了中国高级官员王沪宁和王毅，但没有会见国家主席习近平。金正恩还走过了新近通车的鸭绿江大桥。专家表示，这座大桥将有助于加强朝美之间的交流，扩大贸易。对于此次访问是否与朝鲜可能与美国总统特朗普举行会谈有关，专家们意见不一。

抗美援朝战争纪念馆是为了纪念在 1950-1953 年朝鲜战争中与朝鲜军队并肩作战的中国军队而建。

王沪宁是全国政协主席，也是中共中央政治局常委。

两国于 2010 年达成协议，修建新鸭绿江大桥，中国于 2014 年完成建设，但由于朝鲜缺乏连接道路和海关设施，该桥多年来一直未使用。

经过十多年的延误，这座大桥于10月15日正式通车。

专家们指出，即将于11月举行的亚太经合组织峰会可能是美朝重启对话的契机，但洪敏表示，目前尚无明确迹象表明金正恩的访问与此类会谈有关。

发布于2026年10月25日下午4:22（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月25日下午5:49（韩国标准时间）

专家们认为，几乎没有迹象表明华盛顿方面正在为重启谈判做准备。

周六，朝鲜领导人金正恩在中国丹东抗美援朝战争纪念馆敬献花篮。（韩联社）

专家表示，朝鲜领导人金正恩在中国军队参加1950-53年朝鲜战争周年纪念日前几天访问中国边境城市丹东，旨在重申两国之间历史悠久的血缘关系，而此时平壤与莫斯科的结盟已经引起了北京的关注。

朝鲜官方媒体《劳动新闻》周日报道称，金正恩前一天访问了位于丹东的抗美援朝战争纪念馆。该媒体反复强调，金正恩向阵亡的中国军队致敬，缅怀了双方并肩作战的共同历史，并重申了用鲜血铸就的友谊。

东亚大学朝鲜研究教授康东万表示，之所以将焦点放在中国在战争中的作用上，是经过一段时间以来北京与朝鲜的关系相对于平壤与莫斯科日益深化的伙伴关系（包括朝鲜向俄罗斯部署军队）而减弱的。

康表示：“金正恩决定参观纪念馆以及其他可能的目的地，似乎意在强调朝鲜和中国之间历史悠久的血缘关系。”

韩国统一研究院高级研究员洪敏认为，此次访问传递的信息超越了双边关系。

他说：“朝鲜和中国重申了他们共同对抗美国的历史以及他们用鲜血铸就的联盟”，强调了朝鲜媒体反复强调他们的血缘关系。

“这或许也是在向华盛顿发出一个信号，即不要指望任何可能破坏朝中关系或双方共同利益的事情发生。”

朝鲜领导人金正恩周六访问中国丹东期间，会见了中国人民政治协商会议全国委员会委员长王沪宁。（韩联社）

谁迎接了金正恩？这又意味着什么？

金正恩此行并未与中国国家主席习近平会面，而是与中国第四号人物、全国政协主席、中共中央政治局常委王沪宁以及中国外交部长王毅举行了会谈。

康表示，考虑到此次访问的目的，没有与习近平会面并不奇怪。

他解释说：“金正恩此行的目的是向中国表达感谢并重申双边友谊，与习近平会面并不是此行的主要目的”，并指出这是由于日程安排问题造成的。

“据报道，中共五中全会定于下周召开。这可能不仅是习近平缺席的原因，也是原定会欢迎金正恩的中国国务院总理李强缺席的原因，”洪说。

“然而，王毅和其他负责外交事务和朝鲜事务的高级官员的出席表明，此次访问在外交礼仪方面并没有降低级别。”

金正恩此次一日游之所以引人注目，是因为他选择的路线——新鸭绿江大桥。这座大桥在历经十余年的延误后，于10月15日正式通车。中朝两国于2010年达成协议修建这座大桥，中国于2014年完成建设，但由于朝鲜一侧缺乏连接道路和海关设施，这座过境大桥多年来一直处于闲置状态。

“这表明金正恩现在可以在一天之内访问中国进行战略磋商，从而使两国之间能够更频繁地进行高层交流，”洪说。

该路线也传递出经济信息，表明平壤愿意加强与北京的贸易联系。

“金正恩亲自支持新鸭绿江大桥全面投入运营，表明了他致力于扩大跨境贸易和经济合作的决心，”首尔朝鲜大学杰出教授杨武镇表示。

2018年6月，朝鲜领导人金正恩与美国总统唐纳德·特朗普在新加坡举行峰会前合影，当时正值特朗普的第一个总统任期。（韩联社）

朝美会谈不太可能

尽管一些专家表示，不能排除金正恩与美国总统唐纳德·特朗普举行会谈的可能性，尤其是在即将于11月举行的亚太经济合作组织（APEC）峰会之前，但其他专家仍然持怀疑态度。

鉴于华盛顿和平壤之间重启对话的讨论正在进行，并且考虑到金正恩在 2018 年至 2019 年与特朗普会谈期间多次访问中国，很难排除他最近一次访问与潜在的特朗普-金正恩会谈之间存在某种联系。

杨表示：“鉴于王沪宁与习近平关系密切，金正恩与习近平之间可能通过王沪宁进行间接沟通。” 他还表示，不排除王沪宁以习近平特使身份访问平壤，或金正恩受邀在亚太经合组织峰会前后访华的可能性。

然而，也有人认为特朗普与金正恩会晤的可能性很低。

庆南大学远东研究所教授林乙哲表示：“金正恩访华期间讨论与特朗普会晤的可能性极低。几乎没有任何间接证据表明金正恩此行是为了举行美朝峰会或增加谈判筹码。”

洪还表示，没有明确迹象表明金正恩此次访问与重启与华盛顿的对话有关。