▲ North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited Dandong, Liaoning Province, ahead of China's anniversary of entry into the Korean War on October 24, reaffirming the blood-sealed alliance between North Korea and China and expressing his will to carry on their friendship, the Korean Central News Agency reported on October 25.
Regarding the backdrop of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's recent surprise visit to China, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated, "Maintaining and developing China-North Korea relations is always the unwavering strategic policy of the Chinese party and government."
During a regular briefing today (October 26), Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun responded to questions about the background and specific details of Chairman Kim's visit by saying, "China and North Korea are friendly neighboring countries."
Without answering whether Chairman Kim's visit was at the invitation of China or initiated by North Korea, the spokesperson only said, "China has already released related news, so please refer to that."
Spokesperson Guo went on to emphasize, "The continuous, healthy, and stable development of the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between China and North Korea helps promote the well-being of both peoples and benefits regional peace, stability, development, and prosperity." He added that China will continue to well implement the important shared understandings reached by the leaders of the two countries and promote the continuous development of bilateral relations.
According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, Chairman Kim crossed the New Yalu River Bridge connecting to Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province, to visit Dandong in China's Liaoning Province on October 24, and returned home the same day.
Welcomed by Wang Huning, China's top political advisor and the fourth-ranking member of the Chinese leadership as Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Kim visited the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea Memorial Hall to pay tribute to fallen Chinese soldiers. Together with Wang, he also toured a bus assembly plant in Dandong.
While Chairman Kim explained that the purpose of his visit was to pay respects to the martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers ahead of the anniversary of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea yesterday (October 25), some analysts suggest he traveled to China to discuss specific economic and trade cooperation measures while outwardly demonstrating the blood-sealed alliance between the two countries.
(Photo: Korean Central News Agency, Yonhap News)
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