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Kim Jong-un references 'one-China' principle for first time, signaling deepening ties with Beijing

Published: 14 Apr. 2026, 16:44

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, hugs Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the Chinese delegation's visit to Pyongyang on April 10. [KOREAN CENTRAL TV]

North Korean state media have recently reported on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's reference to the “one-China” principle for the first time — a sign that Pyongyang and Beijing are closely aligning, South Korea's Ministry of Unification said on Tuesday.

In a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday, Kim said his country would “fully support” China's policies aimed at realizing its territorial integrity based on the one-China principle, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said on Saturday. Kim appears to be referring to China's territorial claim to Taiwan.

“North Korea and China appear to be drawing far closer to each other. Kim's mentioning of the 'one-China' principle is a case in point,” an official at the Unification Ministry said regarding his assessment of Wang's visit to Pyongyang from Thursday to Friday.

The official said North Korea treated Wang with special courtesy, indicating that the two nations have been strengthening cooperation and communication.

Since Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping held summit talks in Beijing last September, the two nations appear to be seeking to deepen their traditional ties, which seemed strained amid North Korea's military and diplomatic alignment with Russia.

Yonhap