China’s Xi, North Korea’s Kim pledge to boost ties at rare Pyongyang summit
President Xi Jinping is on a rare visit to North Korea, where he commits to deeper cooperation with Kim Jong Un. China’s President Xi Jinping
President Xi Jinping is on a rare visit to North Korea, where he commits to deeper cooperation with Kim Jong Un. China’s President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have pledged to deepen their cooperation, according to state media, as Xi made a rare visit to Pyongyang. During a summit late on Monday, Xi told Kim he aimed to drive progress in ties, and both leaders agreed to strive for closer strategic communication, the official KCNA news agency reported on Tuesday. Kim, for his part, affirmed that North Korea and China will maintain their friendship as “the most important top-priority strategic work”, the KCNA reported. Kim called Xi “the greatest state guest”, saying he views the fact that Xi chose North Korea as a destination for his first foreign travel this year as “the most encouraging support” to North Korea, according to KCNA. Kim also reiterated Pyongyang’s support for Beijing’s “one China principle”, a reference to Beijing’s official position that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. Kim and Xi also discussed international and regional issues and reached a broad agreement on strengthening strategic coordination to safeguard their shared interests, KCNA said. China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday that Xi expressed China’s willingness to expand cooperation in a wide range of areas, including trade, agriculture, construction and technology.
Xi said the two countries should strengthen strategic cooperation and firmly safeguard their respective sovereignty and security interests, according to the report. ‘A new historical starting point’ It was Xi’s first visit to North Korea in seven years. Xi and Kim last met in Beijing in September after viewing a military parade alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and other foreign leaders. Kim welcomed Xi with a red carpet, guard of honour and a 21-gun salute. The two leaders, accompanied by their wives and senior officials, attended a performance of Chinese and North Korean songs before Kim hosted a banquet for the Chinese delegation. Xi marked the occasion – the 65th anniversary of the neighbours’ friendship treaty – by declaring that relations had reached “a new historical starting point”, according to KCNA. It was not immediately clear if the leaders plan further talks on Tuesday, when South Korean media said Xi is likely to visit the Sino-Korean Friendship Tower in Pyongyang, which commemorates Chinese soldiers who died in the Korean War in the 1950s. The two sides often describe their relationship as one forged in blood, in a reference to the Chinese intervention in the Korean War. But mistrust has strained ties in recent years, particularly after China backed international sanctions against North Korea’s nuclear programme.
The BriefWire