Analysts suggest Chinese president's visit may have validated North Korean leader's approach of balancing China and Russia
The relationship between China and North Korea cooled after the border closure during the Covid-19 pandemic, as Pyongyang deepened its military ties with Russia.
However, Patricia Kim, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institution, noted that Pyongyang is now reaping rewards from Beijing and Moscow's "implicit rivalry" over influence and has emerged as the "biggest winner".
"The fact that neither Beijing nor Moscow is pushing Pyongyang to resume dialogue or to pledge denuclearisation represents a major strategic victory for Kim Jong-un," she stated.