Beijing (China), 5 June (LaPresse/AP) – Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit North Korea next week, as announced today by both countries. This will be his first visit in almost seven years. The trip represents the latest step in a series of Chinese initiatives aimed at strengthening close ties with its nuclear-armed neighbour, whose leader Kim Jong Un has sought to build closer ties with Russia in recent years, notably by sending troops and conventional weapons to support the war against Ukraine. Kim, too, has moved closer to China over the past year, North Korea’s main trading partner and aid provider. Xi will be on a state visit from Monday to Tuesday, according to brief statements by state media in both countries. His last visit was in June 2019. The trip will take place just a few weeks after Xi hosted US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing in quick succession.