China Claims To Support Denuclearization—So Why The Silence In Pyongyang?

A political leader standing beside the Chinese national flag

Chinese President Xi Jinping stood shoulder to shoulder with Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang — just days after Kim vowed to grow his nuclear arsenal — and said absolutely nothing about stopping it.

Story Snapshot

Xi Jinping made his first visit to North Korea in seven years, meeting Kim Jong Un days after Kim pledged to expand his nuclear weapons stockpile.
Chinese and North Korean state media produced thousands of words about the summit but left out any mention of denuclearization.
The summit readout focused on “friendship” and “practical cooperation,” dropping language about a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula that had appeared in earlier meetings.
Experts say China controls over 90% of North Korea’s trade, giving Beijing enormous leverage it has chosen not to use against Kim’s weapons program.

Xi Visits Pyongyang as Kim Expands His Arsenal

Xi Jinping traveled to North Korea for the first time in nearly seven years, receiving a grand welcome in Pyongyang. The timing raised immediate alarms. Kim Jong Un had just vowed to grow his country’s nuclear weapons stockpile, and instead of pushing back, Xi stood beside him and reaffirmed their close ties. The visit sent a clear message to the world — even if Beijing never said a word about nukes.

China officially says it supports a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. But the readout from this summit told a different story. Chinese state media emphasized “friendship” and “practical cooperation” between the two countries. The word “denuclearization” was nowhere to be found. That omission was not accidental — earlier summit readouts had included the term. Dropping it now signals a shift in what Beijing is willing to say out loud.

Silence Speaks Louder Than Words

When the world’s most powerful patron stays quiet while its ally builds nuclear weapons, that silence carries weight. North Korea depends on China for more than 90% of its total trade. Beijing has enormous economic leverage over Pyongyang. Yet according to the Brookings Institution, China has done little to press North Korea to pull back on its missile and nuclear programs since talks with the United States collapsed in 2019. That is not neutrality — that is a choice.

Xi’s article published in North Korean state media during the visit leaned on anti-American themes, calling out “hegemonism and coercive politics.” That kind of language plays well in Pyongyang and signals to Kim that Beijing sees Washington as the bigger threat. When China frames the United States as the problem and stays silent on North Korea’s nukes, it gives Kim political cover to keep building his arsenal without fear of real consequences from his most important ally.

Russia’s Role Makes the Problem Worse

China is not the only outside power enabling Kim. Russia has stepped up military support for North Korea, helping Kim accelerate his weapons program at a pace that even Beijing may not fully control. Analysts note that North Korea’s growing ties with Moscow have shifted some of the leverage away from China. Xi’s Pyongyang visit may partly reflect Beijing’s effort to pull Kim back into China’s orbit before Russia’s influence grows too strong.

A rare red-carpet summit in Pyongyang just changed the game.

Xi Jinping landed in North Korea for the first time in seven years — greeted with full military honors, waving crowds, and giant portraits side by side.

But this wasn’t just ceremony.

Behind the handshakes and… pic.twitter.com/2d5kukbH1V

— TWT UNLEASHED (@TWT_UNLEASHED) June 9, 2026

That competition between China and Russia for influence over North Korea does not make the nuclear threat any smaller. It may actually make Kim bolder. He now has two major powers competing for his partnership, neither of which is demanding he give up his weapons. For the United States and its allies in the region — South Korea and Japan — this is a dangerous situation. A nuclear North Korea shielded by both Beijing’s silence and Moscow’s support is a threat that will not go away on its own. The Trump administration faces a tough challenge in convincing either power to change course.