Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 18
Trump to Press Xi on North Korea Next Week as He Seeks 2026 Kim Summit
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 18

Trump to Press Xi on North Korea Next Week as He Seeks 2026 Kim Summit

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 18

Summary

  • Next week’s Washington talks between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to include North Korea, as Trump tries to revive direct diplomacy with Kim Jong-un.
  • China is central to that effort because it remains North Korea’s most important ally, and Xi could help broker a Trump-Kim meeting while gaining leverage on other U.S.-China disputes.
  • Trump has intensified his outreach since June, reposting imagery from the 2018 Singapore summit, praising his relationship with Kim and saying he expects to meet him again this year.
  • That push already unsettled Seoul after Trump said the U.S. military would scale back exercises with South Korea, a move that handed Kim a concession before any new summit is secured.

Insights

Can Xi Jinping successfully broker a historic Trump-Kim meeting next week, or has Beijing already lost its leverage to Moscow?
With North Korea now backed by a powerful Russian alliance, will Kim demand nuclear state recognition before agreeing to meet Trump?