Kim Song-nam, director of the international affairs department of the Workers’ Party of Korea, has held a series of high-level meetings in Beijing, signaling a push to deepen strategic ties between the two countries.
According to North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kim met with Liu Haixing, minister of the international department of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Friday.
During his meeting with Liu, Kim outlined key accomplishments, emphasizing that the party and the public are fully mobilized to meet the initial targets of the five-year plan established at the 9th WPK Congress.
In response, Liu stated that the delegation’s visit was a top priority for Chinese President Xi Jinping and the CCP Central Committee, highlighting it as a significant milestone in advancing North Korea - China relations.
The two parties reaffirmed their mutual support for each other’s domestic socialist construction and foreign policies, pledging to faithfully carry out the consensus of their supreme leaders.
KCNA also reported that Kim held talks on the same day with Cai Qi, a member of the political bureau standing committee and a secretariat secretary of the CCP, who ranks fifth in China’s party hierarchy.
During the meeting, Kim emphasized that the close bond and strategic guidance between the top leaders of both parties serve as the fundamental cornerstone and enduring driver of bilateral friendship, reaffirming North Korea's firm stance to continuously elevate ties centered on socialism.
“The close personal bond and strategic guidance of the supreme leaders of our two parties serve as the cornerstone and unyielding driving force of friendship between North Korea and China,” Kim said, adding that it remains Pyongyang’s steadfast stance to continuously advance bilateral relations rooted in socialism.
In response, Cai stressed that “no matter how the international landscape shifts, China’s commitment to cherishing its historical friendship with North Korea will never waver.”
“Our strong support for the socialist cause of Korea under General Secretary Kim Jong Un remains steadfast, as does our determination to protect our shared interests and strategic environment,” Cai said.
Leading a WPK delegation at the invitation of the CCP Central Committee, Kim arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a four-day visit, during which he also met with Foreign Minister Wang Yi prior to his talks with Liu and Cai.
hyejin2@heraldcorp.com
