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Pyongyang rolls out the red carpet as Xi Jinping is welcomed with pomp and ceremony

China’s President Xi Jinping received a colourful welcome in Pyongyang as he began his two-day state visit to North Korea, his first in seven years.
After…

By Samantha Johnson / June 8, 2026

After landing at the airport, where Xi and first lady Peng Liyuan were welcomed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju with a handshake, the Chinese leader was escorted through the streets of Pyongyang by a nine-column motorcade to Kim Il-sung Square, the capital’s primary venue for parades and political events.

There, at a formal welcome ceremony, the Chinese leader was given a red-carpet welcome and 21-gun salute, and greeted by a cavalry formation and military band playing the two countries’ national anthems.

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Kim and Xi also watched a parade and reviewed a guard of honour, who shouted in Korean “wishing Comrade Xi Jinping good health”, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

Xi and his wife were then escorted to the Kumsusan state guest house, where they will be staying overnight.

Xi’s motorcade is escorted through the streets of the North Korean capital. Photo: Xinhua
Xi’s motorcade is escorted through the streets of the North Korean capital. Photo: Xinhua

Giant portraits of the two leaders were hanging in the centre of the square, along with banners in Chinese and Korean that read “eternal friendship between North Korea and China”.

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