Xi,KimPledgeCloserChina-NorthKoreaTiesDuringPyongyangMeeting

Chinese President Xi Jinping met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Monday afternoon, laying out a four-point framework to deepen strategic and economic ties between the two longtime allies.

The meeting, held at the Kumsusan State Guest House in the North Korean capital, marked Xi’s first visit to Pyongyang in seven years. It comes as Beijing and Pyongyang seek to reinforce their traditional alliance amid what China has described as accelerating changes in the global landscape.

Xi said the friendship between China and North Korea is rooted in shared ideals and would remain resilient despite shifting international dynamics.

“No matter how the international situation changes, the Chinese party and government’s highly valued position on the traditional friendship between China and North Korea will not change,” Xi said, according to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency.

Xi also reaffirmed Beijing’s “firm support” for Kim’s leadership of North Korea’s socialist cause and said China is committed to safeguarding the two countries’ mutual interests and strategic environment.

Xi proposed four priorities for the next stage of bilateral relations.

First, he called for closer strategic communication between the two leaders to strengthen political trust. Noting that this year marks the 65th anniversary of the signing of the China-North Korea Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, Xi urged both sides to hold commemorative events, deepen party-to-party exchanges and expand cooperation in diplomacy, law enforcement and military affairs.

Second, Xi proposed better aligning the two countries’ development strategies and broadening practical cooperation in trade, agriculture, construction, technology and healthcare. He said the full reopening of border ports and the resumption of international flights and passenger trains should be used to expand exchanges between the two countries.

Third, Xi stressed the importance of historical and cultural ties, calling for the protection of memorial sites for Chinese soldiers who died in the Korean War. He also called for more exchanges in education, tourism, sports, media and youth programs.

Fourth, Xi urged the two countries to strengthen strategic coordination to defend their sovereignty, security and development interests. He said such cooperation would contribute to regional peace and support the development of a more “just and reasonable” global governance system.

Kim welcomed Xi as the North Korean people’s “most respected guest.” He said Xi’s decision to make Pyongyang his first foreign destination of the year showed the importance Beijing attaches to the bilateral relationship.

Kim said he agreed with Xi’s proposals and that North Korean departments would work with their Chinese counterparts to implement them. He said deeper cooperation in trade, infrastructure and technology would support North Korea’s socialist construction and economic modernization.

Kim also pledged continued support for Beijing’s core policies, saying North Korea would continue to adhere to the “one-China” principle and firmly back China’s positions on safeguarding its core interests.

He added that strengthening ties with China remains North Korea’s “top strategic priority.”

Contact editor Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)