Xi Jinping visits North Korea, US and Japan reaffirm denuclearization commitment

Xi set to arrive in N. Korea on first visit in 7 years

SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping was set to arrive in North Korea on Monday for a two-day state visit, his first trip to Pyongyang in nearly seven years, as Beijing looks to reinforce ties with its traditional ally that has increasingly been growing intimate with Russia.

Xi is expected to land at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, where North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may greet him, as he did during Xi's last visit in 2019.

N. Korea's Kim, Xi hold summit in Pyongyang, reaffirm strong ties: report

SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping held summit talks in Pyongyang on Monday, and reaffirmed strong bilateral exchanges and ties, according to China's state media.

The talks came as Xi was making a two-day state visit to Pyongyang in his first trip to China's traditional ally in nearly seven years.

U.S., Japan reaffirm commitment to N. Korea's 'complete denuclearization' in defense talks

WASHINGTON -- The United States and Japan reiterated their commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of North Korea and rejected Russia's notion that Pyongyang's pursuit of nuclear arms was a "closed" issue, as they held key defense talks in Tokyo this week, according to a joint statement.

The allies held the bilateral Extended Deterrence Dialogue at Japan's foreign ministry on Monday and Tuesday as they seek to reinforce security cooperation in the face of China's growing assertiveness and North Korea's advancing nuclear and ballistic missile threats.