Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit North Korea next week, marking his first trip there since 2019. The visit occurs as China faces a tech transfer clampdown and rising inflation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will make a state visit to North Korea next week, his first overseas trip this year and his first to the hermit nation since 2019. The trip will take place on Monday and Tuesday, Xinhua said without elaboration. Xi’s last official overseas excursion was to South Korea in October, when he met US President Donald Trump and attended a regional summit. Xi’s visit underscores a rebound in relations with China’s only formal ally following relative isolation during the...