Xi Heads to North Korea as Kim Pledges Nuclear Expansion
🇨🇳 PYONGYANG — Xi visits Kim as Washington's deterrence splits three ways. 📌 LOOK CLOSER: Beijing can't afford Kim going kinetic alone while Iran consumes US attention — that's a gap China wants to manage, not exploit. Xi's visit signals restraint-through-embrace: lock Pyongyang into Chinese discipline before Kim acts on his nuclear expansion pledge. For Washington: China is consolidating its nuclear periphery while CENTCOM is committed elsewhere.
