Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a thinly veiled jab at Japan ahead of his scheduled arrival in North Korea for a summit with leader Kim Jong Un on Monday, urging Pyongyang to join Beijing in rejecting “any scheme or action aimed at reviving militarism and undermining regional security and stability.”

Xi is due to arrive for a two-day trip later in the day, his first visit to North Korea in seven years, with the two looking to build up ties as Pyongyang has turned to Moscow for many of its needs — a role traditionally held by Beijing.

In remarks carried by both countries’ state-run media, Xi looked to lay the groundwork for improving ties during his visit by emphasizing commonalities, including their mutual concern over what Beijing has characterized as Japan’s “new militarization.”

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