Kim Jong Un visits China for second trip in just over a year

Hooyeon Kim and Soo-Hyang Choi, Bloomberg News on Oct 24, 2026

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the Chinese city of Dandong on Saturday, his second visit to China since September 2025 and ahead of a trip to the region by U.S. President Donald Trump next month.

Kim appears to have reached the city via the New Yalu River Bridge, a South Korean government official said, one of two major bridges that opened in the past month connecting the country to its key trading partners of China and Russia.

China said it was willing to expand economic and trade cooperation with North Korea, with senior Chinese official Wang Huning pointing to the opening of the New Yalu River Bridge as an opportunity to boost exchanges between the two countries, Xinhua News Agency reported Saturday.

Wang, who conveyed greetings to Kim from President Xi Jinping, accompanied the North Korean leader as he paid tribute to Chinese soldiers who fought in the Korean War and later both men toured an automobile factory in Dandong. Wang saw Kim off at the New Yalu River Bridge, according to Xinhua.

Kim was in Beijing in September 2025 for a major military parade, while Chinese President Xi Jinping visited North Korea in June. China and North Korea, historical allies, have moved to bolster bilateral ties with moves like restarting train and plane services between their capitals.

Trump has downplayed expectations of a sit-down with Kim after earlier indicating he would like one to happen this year. The U.S. president had opened the door to meeting face-to-face with Kim when he is in the region in November for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China.

It’s possible that the North Korean leader visited China to align with Xi before agreeing to meet Trump, according to Christopher Green, senior consultant at Crisis Group. “However, the truth is that there is plenty for Kim to discuss with China besides diplomacy with the U.S., and the agenda will become somewhat clearer over the coming day or two.”

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(With assistance from Taiga Uranaka and Tian Ying.)