Thursday, November 14, 2024

China’s vice foreign minister visits North Korea in the latest round of diplomatic relations

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korea said Friday it will host a visit from a Chinese government delegation led by Vice Foreign Minister Son Weidong as it continues efforts to strengthen ties with Beijing and Moscow amid deepening tensions with the United States. did. .

North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said Son’s delegation crossed the two countries’ land border and arrived in the capital, Pyongyang, on Thursday. Details about the visit were not disclosed in the report.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has raised the profile of his partnership with China and Russia as he seeks to break his diplomatic isolation and strengthen his foothold in the region by joining a united front against the United States. I’m trying to raise it.

Kim visited Russia’s Far East in September and held an unusual summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but some experts believe Kim may also be seeking a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It is pointed out that it is highly sexual.

Kim has prioritized relations with Russia, which has raised concerns about arms cooperation that would facilitate Putin’s war with Ukraine, but the North Korean leader has vowed to strengthen bilateral ties in recent months. Chinese dignitaries are invited to major state events.

A Chinese delegation led by Vice Prime Minister Liu Guo-zhong attended events celebrating North Korea’s 75th anniversary last September, just before Kim’s visit to Russia. In July, Kim invited Li Hongzhong, a senior member of China’s ruling party, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to a large military parade in Pyongyang, where he announced the most powerful weapons likely to target the United States, South Korea and Japan. It launched a nuclear-capable missile.

Son met with North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Park Myung-ho in Beijing last month to discuss strengthening bilateral ties and coordination on unspecified “issues of common interest.” President Park then met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and promised to expand friendly exchanges and strengthen “strategic cooperation” in 2024, when the two countries will mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations.

Son’s visit to North Korea is the latest high-level meeting between the United States and China amid tensions over trade, technology and China’s assertive foreign policy in the region, said U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan. The meeting comes as he plans to meet Mr Wang in Bangkok this week.

China, North Korea’s main ally and economic lifeline, has struggled with Kim’s decades of misgovernment and the United States’ response to its nuclear weapons and missile programs, which it has aggressively expanded in recent years despite limited resources. It is a vital partner in Mr. Kim’s efforts to rebuild an economy crippled by sanctions-led sanctions. .

China and Russia, as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, have blocked U.S.-led efforts to tighten sanctions on North Korea over an escalation in weapons testing activity in recent months, and over Russia’s war with Ukraine. It highlights the deepening of the groove.

Washington and South Korea have called on Beijing to use its economic influence over North Korea to persuade the Kim regime to return to nuclear disarmament talks, which have been stalled since 2019.

Experts say trade activity between North Korea and China has gradually expanded since North Korea eased pandemic restrictions and reopened its borders last year.

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Follow AP’s Asia-Pacific coverage. https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific





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