NK leader vows to advance ties with China during surprise Dandong visit

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited Dandong, China, on Saturday and vowed to carry forward the countries’ longstanding friendship. He met Chinese official Wang Huning, paid tribute to Chinese soldiers who fought in the Korean War, attended a banquet and visited a bus factory. Kim returned to North Korea via the newly opened New Amnok River Bridge, which links Sinuiju with Dandong. The visit came as Pyongyang seeks to strengthen ties with Beijing after deepening cooperation with Russia.

Kim’s delegation included Jo Yong-won, Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Kim Yo-jong, while Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other senior Chinese officials were also present.

The visit was Kim’s first known trip to China since September 2025 and his sixth since taking power in 2011.

The New Amnok River Bridge opened earlier in October, more than a decade after construction was completed in 2014.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Pyongyang in June 2026, and the two leaders pledged to expand cooperation in political, economic and other fields.

Experts said the absence of a meeting with Xi made imminent North Korea-U.S. dialogue unlikely; Cha Du-hyeogn said the visit could be a message urging Washington to show sincerity.

Published Oct 25, 2026 7:46 am KST

Updated Oct 25, 2026 2:13 pm KST

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, and Wang Huning, China's top political adviser, greet each other in Dandong, China, Saturday, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited China and vowed to promote the two countries' longstanding relationship forged in blood, state media reported Sunday.

The report confirmed earlier accounts from South Korean government sources, who said Saturday that Kim visited the Chinese border city of Dandong, where he met with Wang Huning, China's fourth-highest-ranking official and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

According to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim visited Dandong on Saturday, accompanied by senior party and government officials, including Jo Yong-won, a member of the ruling Workers' Party's Presidium; Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui; and Kim Yo-jong, his sister and a party department director.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other senior Chinese officials were also present.

Saturday's visit marked Kim's first known trip to China since September 2025, when he traveled to Beijing to attend events marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and held talks with Chinese President Xi Jingping. It was his sixth visit to China since he took power in 2011.

Kim paid tribute at a war memorial to Chinese soldiers who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War, as China marked the 76th anniversary of its entry into the Korean War on Sunday.

"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," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA.

Kim also attended a banquet hosted by Wang at Xi's direction and visited a bus factory in Dandong.

Wang Huning, also a member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China, conveyed Xi's greetings to Kim and said the visit was significant for preserving and developing the countries' "traditional friendship and militant fraternity," the KCNA reported.

Wrapping up his one-day visit, Kim returned to North Korea via the newly opened New Amnok River Bridge, also known as the New Yalu River Bridge. The report did not specify whether he had used the bridge to enter China.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits the Chinese city of Dandong, Saturday, ahead of the anniversary of China's entry into the 1950-53 Korean War, reaffirming the two countries' blood-forged ties and vowing to advance their friendship, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. Yonhap

While viewing the surrounding area from the midpoint of the bridge, Kim expressed hope that it would "undoubtedly and correctly fulfill its historic mission of linking the two countries and firmly joining the minds of the peoples of the two countries."

The bridge, which links North Korea's border city of Sinuiju with China's Dandong, opened earlier this month, more than a decade after construction was completed in 2014.

The latest trip comes as Pyongyang seeks to strengthen ties with Beijing after the bilateral ties had remained cool, with North Korea deepening its alignment with Russia, including military cooperation amid Moscow's war against Ukraine.

China remains North Korea's most important economic partner and a key diplomatic ally. The two countries have stepped up high-level exchanges, including Xi's visit to Pyongyang in June 2026, when the two leaders pledged to expand cooperation in political, economic and other fields.

Kim's visit also comes ahead of a planned Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China next month, which U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to attend. Trump has expressed interest in resuming dialogue with Kim, though prospects for a meeting remain uncertain.

It remains unclear whether Kim's latest trip included any discussions on regional security or the possibility of renewed diplomacy with Washington.

Experts said given that Kim's recent trip did not involve a meeting with Xi, North Korea-U.S. dialogue is unlikely to be imminent. Kim previously traveled to China to meet Xi ahead of his summits with Trump.

But the North's leader appears to have tried to raise his leverage for possible negotiations with the United States by showing that he can travel to China if he determines to do so.

"As Kim did not meet with Xi, it would be difficult to think that he might seek to coordinate with China over potential dialogue with the U.S. But it could be seen as a message calling for Washington to show some sincerity," Cha Du-hyeogn, vice president at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies said.

朝鲜领导人金正恩周六访问中国丹东，并誓言将两国悠久的友谊发扬光大。他会见了中国官员王沪宁，向在朝鲜战争中英勇作战的中国军人致敬，出席了宴会并参观了一家巴士工厂。金正恩经由新近通车的鸭绿江大桥返回朝鲜，该桥连接新义州和丹东。此次访问正值平壤在深化与俄罗斯的合作后，寻求加强与北京的关系之际。

金正恩的代表团成员包括赵勇元、外交部长崔善姬和金与正，中国外交部长王毅和其他中国高级官员也出席了会议。

这是金正恩自 2025 年 9 月以来首次访问中国，也是他自 2011 年上台以来的第六次访华。

新阿姆诺克河大桥于 10 月初通车，距离其 2014 年竣工已过去了十多年。

中国国家主席习近平于2026年6月访问平壤，两国领导人承诺扩大在政治、经济和其他领域的合作。

专家表示，由于没有与习近平会面，朝美近期不太可能展开对话；车斗亨表示，此次访问可能是在向华盛顿发出信号，敦促其展现诚意。

发布于2026年10月25日 上午7:46（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月25日下午2:13（韩国标准时间）

朝鲜领导人金正恩（右）与中国最高政治顾问王沪宁于周六在中国丹东会面。这张照片由朝鲜官方通讯社朝中社于次日发布。（韩联社）

据朝鲜官方媒体周日报道，朝鲜领导人金正恩访问了中国，并誓言要促进两国用鲜血铸就的长期关系。

该报道证实了韩国政府消息人士此前的说法，他们周六表示，金正恩访问了中国边境城市丹东，并在那里会见了中国第四号人物、全国政协主席王沪宁。

据朝鲜中央通讯社（朝中社）报道，金正恩周六访问了丹东，陪同他的有高级党政官员，包括执政党劳动党常任委员会成员赵容元、外交部长崔善姬以及他的妹妹、党政部部长金与正。

中国外交部长王毅及其他中国高级官员也出席了会议。

周六的访问是金正恩自2025年9月以来首次已知访华行程。当时他访问北京，出席纪念二战胜利80周年的活动，并与中国国家主席习近平举行了会谈。这是他自2011年掌权以来第六次访华。

周日，中国纪念朝鲜战争76周年之际，金正恩前往一座纪念在1950-53年朝鲜战争中战斗的中国士兵的纪念碑致敬。

据朝中社报道，金正恩表示：“我们将永远铭记中国人民的优秀儿女用鲜血帮助我们革命的历史，并将坚定不移地把朝中友谊的历史继续发扬光大。”

金正恩还应邀参加了王毅按照习近平指示举办的宴会，并参观了丹东的一家公交车厂。

据朝中社报道，中共中央政治局常委王沪宁向金正恩转达了习近平的问候，并表示此次访问对于维护和发展两国“传统友谊和战斗兄弟情谊”具有重要意义。

结束为期一天的访问后，金正恩经由新近通车的鸭绿江大桥（又称鸭绿江大桥）返回朝鲜。报道并未说明他是否曾使用该桥进入中国。

朝鲜领导人金正恩周六访问中国丹东，正值中国参与朝鲜战争周年纪念日前夕。朝鲜官方通讯社朝中社次日发布了这张照片，照片显示金正恩此行重申了两国血泪铸就的友谊，并誓言推进两国友好关系。（韩联社）

金正恩站在桥中央眺望周围地区时表示，希望这座桥“毫无疑问地、正确地履行了连接两国、牢牢联系两国人民思想的历史使命”。

连接朝鲜边境城市新义州和中国丹东的这座大桥于本月初通车，距离其 2014 年竣工已过去了十多年。

此次访问正值平壤寻求加强与北京的关系之际，此前朝中双边关系一直较为冷淡，而朝鲜则加深了与俄罗斯的联系，包括在莫斯科对乌克兰发动战争期间的军事合作。

中国仍然是朝鲜最重要的经济伙伴和关键外交盟友。两国加强了高层交往，包括习近平主席于2026年6月访问平壤，届时两国领导人承诺扩大在政治、经济和其他领域的合作。

金正恩此次访问正值亚太经合组织峰会下月在中国召开前夕，美国总统特朗普预计将出席此次峰会。特朗普曾表示有意与金正恩恢复对话，但会晤前景仍不明朗。

目前尚不清楚金正恩此次访问是否涉及地区安全问题或与华盛顿重启外交的可能性。

专家表示，鉴于金正恩此次访华并未与习近平会晤，朝美对话近期不太可能举行。金正恩此前曾前往中国会见习近平，之后才与特朗普举行峰会。

但朝鲜领导人似乎试图通过表明他如果下定决心可以前往中国，来增加他与美国进行可能谈判的筹码。

“由于金正恩没有与习近平会面，很难认为他会寻求与中国就与美国的潜在对话进行协调。但这可以被视为呼吁华盛顿展现诚意的信号，”峨山政策研究院副院长车斗亨表示。