KEI Visiting Senior Fellow Henry Haggard on Xi Jinping’s North Korea Visit

KEI Visiting Senior Fellow Henry Haggard spoke with CNA about Chinese President Xi Jinping and his recent meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang.

“The narrative that Xi sought to pull Kim away from Putin does not seem in sync with the current reality that China is the senior partner with Russia, Haggard wrote after the interview. “A steady DPRK is in China’s interest and ongoing support from Russia helps Kim … Xi could have signaled his support for further Trump-Kim engagement and even cleared the way for a Trump visit to North Korea.”

Watch the full interview, “What does China’s ‘new historical starting point’ with North Korea reveal about its priorities?,” published June 9, 2026.

Please email communications@keia.org to speak with Henry Haggard and/or other KEI experts.