Pyongyang's 'Empty Streets' Welcome Party Leader: What Are Chinese Netizens Discussing?

The North Korean authorities have squandered resources by organising a large number of people to create a fantastical scene of empty streets welcoming guests. The unfortunate 'masses' are nearly scorched under the blazing sun. (Video screenshot)

[People News] Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on June 8, 2026, for a state visit to North Korea after a seven-year gap, where he held a summit meeting with Kim Jong-un. The grand spectacle of mass welcome in Pyongyang has led outsiders to humorously label it a 'large-scale gala' of two isolated regimes. Chinese netizens have mockingly remarked that Xi Jinping's trip to Pyongyang resembles 'the older brother comforting the younger brother,' with comments like, 'Beijing cannot afford to lose North Korea, but Pyongyang is also aware that Beijing cannot do without it.'

The lively discussions and humorous interpretations among Chinese netizens primarily revolve around three key points:

1. Is the Party Leader Flying to Pyongyang to 'Seek the Source'?

As photos and videos from the scene released by Xinhua News Agency and CCTV showcased a sea of flowers and the cheers of the public at Pyongyang's empty airport, they aimed to portray Xi Jinping as a leader who is respected and welcomed by North Korea. However, these visuals prompted many Chinese netizens to lament about 'going backwards' and evoke a sense of 'time travel back to the 1970s and 1980s.'

On platforms like Weibo and Xiaohongshu, a significant number of young people facing graduation, job hunting, and exam pressures gathered, joking: 'In North Korea, you don't see employment anxiety because the state handles everything, and everyone has a formal position (even if they are paid in food coupons).'

The extravagant welcoming ceremonies, which are both labour-intensive and wasteful, frequently unfold in Beijing and Pyongyang, representing a scenario where two authoritarian regimes fulfil their respective needs. One regime seeks the endorsement of power to strengthen its domestic governance and showcase its strength to the West, while the other is in dire need of financial assistance and resources. These carefully orchestrated ceremonies serve merely as lavish props to cater to the vanity of the rulers.

The recently concluded National II college entrance examination essay topic has ignited a heated discussion online, particularly because it quoted the phrase, "The sun and moon do not lose their form, hence they obscure and then become bright again; the rivers and lakes do not lose their source, hence they become exhausted and then regain their flow," to discuss how to cope with difficulties. Following the announcement of Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea, netizens began to showcase their dark humor by connecting these two events. One user humorously commented, "After just finishing the exam on how to navigate turbulent waves and internal competition, I look back and see that the country has provided a personal demonstration of what it means to 'find the source'—by going to North Korea to learn how to 'not lose its form.'"

Some netizens have humorously pointed out that in the current context, where the number of flexible workers exceeds 300 million and competition is intense, Xi Jinping's visit to a country that lacks both ride-hailing and food delivery services, and fully implements a distribution system, is essentially a 'leading version of experience exchange.'

2. 'Competing for Attention in a Love Triangle'

Netizens and financial bloggers with a keen political awareness are particularly focused on the 'triangular intimate relationship' involving China, Russia, and North Korea that underpins this visit.

Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the military and economic alliance between North Korea and Russia has tightened significantly. Kim Jong-un has been frequently engaging with Putin, and North Korea has even dispatched troops to the front lines of the Russia-Ukraine conflict to support Russia. The relationship between Russia and North Korea has become increasingly close in recent years, with more frequent interactions between their leaders, suggesting that the 'little brother' that the Chinese Communist Party has nurtured for decades is beginning to lean towards Moscow.

Chinese netizens have jokingly remarked: 'The big brother (Xi Jinping) is getting anxious; after 7 years, he rushes over to assert his authority and ensure that the little brother doesn't completely align with Russia.' 'Now Beijing is seeking Pyongyang's support.' 'Let's not get it twisted; it's the older brother trying to placate the little brother.'

Netizens are actively discussing how Kim Jong-un navigates the "balancing act" between the two major powers, the Chinese Communist Party and Russia. They note that "Beijing cannot afford to lose North Korea, but Pyongyang is also aware that Beijing cannot do without it." Kim Jong-un is leveraging his relationship with Russia to "secure more economic concessions and aid from Beijing," asserting that "his bargaining power is now stronger than ever." 

As U.S. President Trump wrapped up his visit to Beijing, Xi Jinping quickly traveled to North Korea to meet with Kim Jong-un. Netizens suggest that Beijing is increasingly concerned that Kim Jong-un may not fully adhere to the Communist Party's directives, prompting Xi to urgently seek to reaffirm the strategic relationship with Pyongyang. Some humorously remarked: "On the surface, it looks like an older brother visiting a younger brother, but in reality, it's more like the big brother trying to maintain the relationship," and "the older brother is working to stabilize a younger brother who is becoming increasingly difficult to manage."

3. Is it time to send warmth again?

When North Korea is mentioned, nearly every Chinese person immediately thinks of the continuous flow of material and financial aid that the CCP provides to North Korea each year. Some netizens have mockingly remarked: 'Kim Jong-un treats the CCP like an ATM.'

During his visit to North Korea, Xi Jinping highlighted the need to 'deepen practical cooperation and enhance the well-being of the two countries' people' in a signed article published in the North Korean newspaper 'Rodong Sinmun.' In response, many netizens expressed their frustration, suggesting that this indicates a new round of food, oil, material, or financial aid being sent to North Korea.

On platforms such as NetEase News (comment section) and Toutiao, numerous users connected this situation to the current economic conditions in China, lamenting: 'In our country, three people are competing for one job, everyone is seeking flexible employment and trying to stay healthy, yet we are expected to generously support our neighbouring country. This is truly a grand display of strategic resolve.'

Through this stark contrast, Chinese netizens satirise the harsh employment landscape, the phenomenon of involution, the wave of business closures, and the increasingly unattainable goal of securing stable jobs for ordinary citizens, alongside their anxiety about the future. They also express dissatisfaction with the Chinese Communist Party's tendency to provide generous aid to foreign governments while neglecting or exploiting the rights and interests of domestic citizens, encapsulated in the sentiment of 'better to give to allies than to our own people.'

(First published by People News) △