Did Kim Jong-un’s China visit herald the return of the Beijing-Pyongyang alliance?
Leaders’ meeting was ‘a strategic choice and the only right choice’ for the two countries, Xi says
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said during his visit to China that he wanted to “meet President Xi Jinping often”, as the traditional allies pledged to reset their relationship after years of setbacks.
The two sides vowed to hold “frequent high-level exchanges” and strengthen communications at all levels, China’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
The visit was Kim’s first outside North Korea since he came to power in 2011. Ties between Beijing and Pyongyang have been stormy in recent years.
According to a report by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim said he and Xi should meet more frequently to consolidate the two nations’ relationship, and that he had extended an invitation to Xi to visit North Korea.
Stressing their shared past, Xi said a strong relationship between the two countries was “a strategic choice and the only right choice for the sides to make based on history and reality”.
“This should not and will not change because of any single event at a particular time,” Xi said, without referring to any specific incidents.