Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit North Korea from June 8 to 9, 2023, marking his first trip to Pyongyang in seven years. The visit, which comes at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, underscores the enduring ties between the two nations. State broadcaster CCTV announced the trip, highlighting that discussions are likely to focus on North Korea's nuclear program, particularly following the recent unveiling of a facility for producing nuclear bomb ingredients. China remains a crucial ally for North Korea, providing diplomatic and political support amid the latter's isolation and the extensive international sanctions it faces. Despite the close relationship, visits by Chinese presidents to North Korea are infrequent; Xi's last visit occurred in 2019, which was the first by a Chinese head of state since Hu Jintao's trip in 2005. The announcement of Xi's visit follows his high-profile hosting of Kim Jong Un in Beijing in September, where Kim attended a military parade alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japan in World War II.