Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea on June 8-9 following an invitation from Kim Jong Un, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The visit, announced on Friday, comes as Beijing seeks to shore up ties, with Pyongyang having strengthened relations with Russia. Xi also recently met with the leaders of Russia and the United States. The meeting in Pyongyang will be the Chinese president’s first trip to Pyongyang in seven years, having met North Korean leader Kim in 2019.