Why there’s more than just ideology behind Xi Jinping’s state visit to North Korea and meeting with Kim Jong-un
- Despite the pomp and ceremony likely to surround the trip to Pyongyang, observers believe Beijing is adopting a more pragmatic approach to its neighbour
- Both sides are likely to consider how the meeting with help them in their respective dealings with Donald Trump
China is taking a more pragmatic approach in its dealings with North Korea, observers believe, due in part to its calculations about how it will affect its relationship to Washington.
The shift away from a more ideological approach is seen as being driven by the calculation that the relationship between the two Communist states has changed fundamentally since their “flesh and blood” alliance saw them fighting a US-led coalition in the Korean war 70 years ago.
This “new development of relations” has been highlighted by the way China’s official media announced President Xi Jinping’s two-day visit to Pyongyang, which starts on Thursday.
“We need to boost friendly exchange and expand pragmatic cooperation, to inject new impetus into the development of bilateral relations,” Xi said, according to Xinhua, the official state news agency.
It will be the first time a Chinese president has visited North Korea since 2005, and the first time such a trip has been officially designated as a state visit since Beijing and Pyongyang established diplomatic relations in 1949.
