China's Xi to visit N Korea for first time in six years

Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea next week for his first visit in six years.

Xi will visit North Korea on June 8 and 9, state news agency Xinhuareported.

The trip will be Xi's second to North Korea. The Chinese president visited in 2019, before the COVID pandemic shut border crossings between the countries for years.

Xi's announcement came a day after North Korea unveiled a new facility to produce nuclear bomb fuels. During a visit to the plant, Kim announced plans to bolster the country's nuclear forces "at an exponential rate."

Beijing and Pyongyang are cautiously rebuilding ties after years of relative isolation.

In September last year, Kim attended a military parade in Beijing commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

It was Kim's first attendance at a major multilateral event, appearing alongside Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

with AP and EFE