North Korea and China have agreed to further deepen cooperation and exchanges between their countries.
This comes as their Foreign Ministers had an “in-depth exchange” on international issues. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi flew to Pyongyang on Thursday in his first visit to North Korea in seven years.
Wang and his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son Hui also agreed to strengthen strategic communication between their agencies handling foreign policy. Wang said that Beijing was ready to work with Pyongyang to continue the positive momentum of bilateral relations.
According to a statement, Wang hailed the countries’ “traditional friendship forged in blood.” “China is willing to work with North Korea to… enhance dialogue and practical cooperation at all levels and across various fields, (and) deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges,” Wang added.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang also called Chinese leader Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s strategic guidance the strongest political guarantee for the development of relations between the two countries. This year, China and North Korea are commemorating the 65th anniversary of the 1961 Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance. Both sides agreed to hold commemorative activities and deepen cultural exchanges.
The relationship between North Korea and China has often been described as being close but their ties have been questioned in recent years. North Korea focused on expanding cooperation with Russia by supplying troops and ammunition to support its war against Ukraine, while China is reportedly reluctant to form an anti-West alliance with North Korea and Russia.
Nonetheless, North Korea and China have been pushing to solidify their ties. Last September, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Xi held their first summit in more than six years and pledged mutual support. Afterwards, Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited Pyongyang in October and discussed broader bilateral cooperation with Kim. Wang last visited Pyongyang in September 2019.
Last month, North Korea and China resumed their direct flight and passenger train services, which had been suspended since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Wang asserted that the September meeting in Beijing between top leaders Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un provided “important strategic guidance for the next stage of development” in ties between the countries.
He asserted that China is ready to work with the North Korean side to take the important consensus of the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries as the fundamental guide to enhance strategic communication, maintain close exchanges and cooperation, and continuously consolidate the positive momentum of bilateral relations to deliver more benefits to the two peoples and jointly promote regional peace and development.
On her part, Choe Son Hui stated that the friendship between North Korea and China is based on a shared socialist system and a tradition of friendship, and that bilateral relations are profound, solid, and sustainable.
“Advancing DPRK-China friendship and cooperation in line with the trend of the times and the will of both peoples is the unshakable stance of both the Party and Governmentof Korea. The historic and successful meeting between the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries last September has powerfully enhanced friendship and mutual trust, pointing out the direction and injecting strong impetus into the development of DPRK-China relations.”
Choe Son Hui
North Korea Rejects Foreign Interference In China’s Affairs
During the meeting, Choe also stressed that North Korea fully supports the one-China principle, rejected the interference of other countries in China’s internal affairs.
Pyongyang, according to the ministry, supports Beijing’s position in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity regarding issues that are considered to be of China’s core interests, such as Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang.
China’s news agency disclosed that Wang and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui discussed current international and regional issues at their meeting but didn’t specify what those issues were.
Wang’s visit comes ahead of a trip by US President Donald Trump to China to meet Xi. The agenda is now scheduled for mid-May, after being postponed from an initial plan last week due to the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Since returning to the White House in January last year, Trump has repeatedly stated that he is ready to resume dialogue with Kim. The two met during Trump’s first term, but talks on nuclear issues ultimately failed.
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