New Delhi, June 8 -- North Korea's Kim Jong Un on Monday (local time) offered a grand welcome to Chinese President Xi Jinping. However, the North Korean leader is welcoming his guest from a position of considerable confidence, with the country having changed significantly since Xi Jinping's last trip seven years ago.

NBC News reported that Kim's backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine has paid dividends; his weapons programme has strengthened the country's status as a de facto nuclear state, and an economy that was weakened by years of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and sanctions has regained momentum in recent years.

Kim was joined by his wife, Ri Sol Ju, as Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, stepped off their plane in ...