China re‑centers North Korea ties as nuclear silence reshapes balance

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, Chinese President Xi Jinping (center left) shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (center right) during a welcome ceremony in Pyongyang on Monday.

Xi's silence on North Korea's nuclear program came as Kim tried to convince the world of the irreversibility of his country's status as a nuclear power.

(Image credit: 朝鮮通信社)