CHINESE leader Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea next week, both countries announced today, in what will be his first visit since 2019.

His trip will be the latest in a series of steps by China to reinforce its close ties with its neighbour. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reached out to Russia in recent years, sending troops and weapons to support its war against Ukraine.

But in the past year, Mr Kim has likewise been trying to improve ties with China, the North’s biggest trading partner and provider of aid.

“As North Korea builds closer ties with Russia, China seeks to use Xi’s trip to reassert its influence over Pyongyang and safeguard its strategic interests in north-east Asia,” said William Yang, an analyst for the International Crisis Group.

Mr Xi will make a state visit from Monday to Tuesday, Chinese and North Korean state media said in brief dispatches.

“The traditional friendly and co-operative relations between China and the DPRK have continued to develop in a sound and stable manner, bringing tangible benefits to both countries and their peoples,” spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

The trip is coming just a few weeks after Mr Xi met US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in quick succession in Beijing.

Mr Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to restore diplomacy with Mr Kim, but the North Korean leader has said the US must first drop its demand for North Korea to denuclearise as a precondition for talks.