In this photo by the North Korean government, Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, accompanied by Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju, in Pyongyang on June 8.Source: KCNA/KNS/AP Photo

By Soo-hyang Choi and Nectar Gan

June 9, 2026 at 12:30 PM GMT+1

Kim Jong Un feted Chinese President Xi Jinping with two days of lavish celebrations in Pyongyang, calling ties with China a “top priority” in a clear message that Beijing, not Moscow, remains North Korea’s most important partner.

Kim’s description of the relationship as “the most important top-priority strategic work” goes beyond standard rhetoric, signaling his recalibration back toward China after years of drawing closer to Moscow. It was the first time the North Korean leader said that to Xi, even as Kim has referred to Putin as his “dearest friend.”