China tells North Korea it wants ‘closer communication and cooperation on world stage’
- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tells North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho during Pyongyang visit that the two countries ‘have always been in the same boat’
- The meeting comes as both nations face deadlocks in talks with Washington
China wants “closer communication and cooperation on the international stage” with North Korea, its top diplomat said on Tuesday, as both countries face a deadlock in critical talks with the US.
“Over the past 70 years, China and North Korea have always been in the same boat and moving forward side by side, no matter how the international situation changes,” Wang said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.
“Standing at a new beginning, China-[North Korea] relations will definitely strengthen and look to a brighter future,” he said.
China fought alongside the North in the Korean war against the American forces in the 1950s and the two nations are military allies under a treaty, while China is also North Korea’s main economic backer. But the relationship deteriorated from 2016 to 2018 over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programme and Beijing’s support for United Nations sanctions against North Korea.
Beijing and Pyongyang have been working to repair the relationship, with Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meeting five times since March last year as they both seek more diplomatic leverage with Washington.
Pyongyang’s talks with Washington on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula have stalled since the second summit meeting between Kim and Trump collapsed in February. That summit in Hanoi was followed by a third meeting at Panmunjom in the demilitarised zone between the two Koreas in June, where they agreed to revive stalled working-level talks – but those have yet to resume.
Wang said he was “not very optimistic” about the prospects for the denuclearisation talks moving forward.
“North Korea would want this support from China, and maybe also Russia,” he said, noting that Beijing had also backed Pyongyang’s demand for Washington to take substantial steps to address its security and economic concerns by suspending the military drills and easing some of the sanctions it has imposed.
“Having better political, economic, social and all kinds of connections with North Korea is in China’s strategic interest in the Northeast Asia region,” he said.
During their meeting on Tuesday, the two foreign ministers also discussed the coming celebration of the 70th anniversary of the countries’ diplomatic relationship. It falls five days after the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, and there is speculation that Kim could attend the ceremony and military parade for China’s National Day.
North Korea offers support for Beijing over Hong Kong protests, condemning ‘foreign forces’
Wang also briefed Ri on the situation in Hong Kong. The city has been rocked by anti-government protests since early June, sparked by a now-shelved extradition bill. Ri said that Hong Kong was an internal matter for Beijing and that North Korea “firmly supports” China’s “one country, two systems” framework and its territorial integrity.
