Xi Jinping arrives in Pyongyang for state visit to North Korea

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on June 8 to begin a state visit to North Korea, marking a significant diplomatic engagement between the two countries. Upon arrival at midday, Xi was greeted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who presided over a grand welcoming ceremony at Kim Il Sung Square. North Korean citizens lined the streets waving flags and flowers, while crowds and children dressed in festive attire displayed banners expressing messages of China-North Korea friendship, welcoming Xi with enthusiastic applause and cheers. Kim Jong Un accompanied Xi in reviewing an honour guard composed of the North Korean People's Army tri-service contingent. The ceremonial reception underscored the formal nature of the visit and the diplomatic significance attached to it by Pyongyang. That evening, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan attended a welcoming banquet hosted by Kim Jong Un at Mulan Hall, further cementing the bilateral relationship during the visit.