Chinese Foreign Minister Sun Weidong visited North Korea on Friday and led a delegation that would work on improving the relationship between the two countries.
North Korea announced that it was hosting a visit by the Chinese government delegation as it continues to strengthen its ties to Moscow amid rising tensions with Washington. The North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that the Chinese foreign minister and his colleagues arrived in Pyongyang on Thursday.
The country's leader, Kim Jong Un, has recently tried to boost the visibility of its partnership with China and Russia. This is all part of his efforts to break out of diplomatic isolation and bolster his regional footing by working in a united front against the United States.
In September last year, the North Korean leader traveled to Russia's Far East for a rare summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some experts have said that he is also likely to be seeking a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as per the Independent.
While Kim is prioritizing his ties with Moscow, which has already raised concerns about arms cooperation that would support Putin's war on Ukraine, he also invited senior Chinese officials to major state events. These events were held in recent months as the North Korean leader continued to vow to strengthen bilateral relations.
Last September, Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong led a delegation that attended the celebrations for North Korea's 75th founding anniversary. Furthermore, in July last year, Kim invited Chinese ruling party official Li Hongzhong and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to a major military parade in the capital.
During that event, Kim rolled out his most powerful and potentially nuclear-capable missiles that are said to be capable of targeting the United States, South Korea, and Japan. Last month, Sun met with North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong in Beijing. They discussed the strengthening of bilateral ties and the coordination over unspecified "issues of common interest."
Conducting Diplomatic Talks
Afterward, Pak met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as the two officials committed to expanding friendly exchanges and strengthening "strategic cooperation" this year. The Chinese foreign minister's visit to North Korea comes as U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was planning talks with Wang in Bangkok this week, according to the Associated Press.
It was considered the latest high-level talks between Beijing and Washington amid tensions over a variety of issues, including trade, technology, and China's assertive policy in the region. China is a crucial partner for Kim's efforts to revive an economy that has been crippled by decades of mismanagement and U.S.-led sanctions.
The situation comes as last week, China said that it was willing to work with North Korea to address regional stability amid escalating tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang. Beijing's diplomatic chief Liu Jianchao said that China will increase strategic communications and jointly safeguard regional peace with the North.
The remarks were made during a meeting with North Korean envoy Ri Ryong-nam, who said that his nation firmly supports China's defense of its "core interests" on Taiwan, Hong Kong, human rights, and other issues, said the South China Morning Post.
