Kim Jong Un Receives President Xi Jingping

Kim Jong Un hosted a state visit in North Korea for President Xi Jingping. It has been awhile since a Chinese leader has visited North Korea. This was more than just a mere exchange, rather a significant turning point. China may be more willing to give North Korea a higher degree of military and economic assistance. There may be several reasons for this. China may contemplate with the current tensions with Iran that the US is willing to go to war with other countries over nuclear weapons programs. That would mean North Korea could be made into a target of possible military action. Another factor is the Trump administration increasing aid and arms sales to Taiwan. President Obama was willing to do this for Taiwan and President Trump continues a the process. President Xi Jingping may see President Donald Trump's efforts at an agreement on nuclear weapons a means to undermine China's influence on the Korean peninsula. Both North and South Korea under American influence combined with a militarily stronger Taiwan poses a problem for Chinese foreign policy. Simultaneously, the US and China are engaged in a trade war. China wants to confront the US by either undermining nuclear agreement efforts or force North Korea to reconsider new negotiations. North Korea may be a way for China to show resistance to tariffs and penalties directed at Huawei. The trade war if it continues may escalate into economic warfare and by extension lead to an actual military conflict. China may also be investing more in North Korea as a counter to the US pivot to Asia. The pivot to Asia was established during the Obama administration seeking to expand American influence in the Asia-Pacific region. President Xi Jingping's meeting with Kim Jong Un was more so an expression of support and to stop US interference in Asia. Collaboration will only become strong as long as their is belligerence from a more aggressive US foreign policy. Kim Jong Un seems to have survived sanctions and threats of war. Securing China's assistance ensures that his regime will remain strong despite possible US attempts to depose him. If an agreement on nuclear weapons is to be reached it must be a bilateral affair between North and South Korea. There were rumors that Kim Jong Un wanted Xi Jingping to deliver a message to Donald Trump regarding restarting talks. So far, this has not been confirmed.