Xi's first trip to North Korea since 2019 underscores efforts to remind Kim that Beijing remains Pyongyang's most important political patron, amid its deepening alliance with Russia.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea next week as Kim Jong Un pushes for an "exponential" expansion of the country's nuclear arsenal and deepens ties with Russia.

The Chinese leader's visit on June 8-9, his first in seven years, comes as Pyongyang strengthens relations with Russia.