A North Korean delegation led by Premier Pak Thae-song arrived in Beijing on July 10 to attend events commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance between North Korea and China.
China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that Premier Pak arrived in Beijing earlier today leading a party and government delegation, marking the beginning of his official visit to China.
Pak is scheduled to stay in China until July 12 and will attend events including the 65th-anniversary ceremony of the treaty, which will be held on July 11.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced at a regular press briefing yesterday that Premier Pak is visiting China at the invitation of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government.
"This year marks the 65th anniversary of the signing of the North Korea-China friendship treaty, and both sides have decided to hold grand commemorative events together," Mao said. "We will strengthen strategic communication and continue to develop the traditional friendly relations between North Korea and China through close exchanges and cooperation."
The North Korea-China friendship treaty was signed in Beijing on July 11, 1961, by Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and North Korean leader Kim Il-sung.
The treaty is considered the core foundation of North Korea-China relations, as it includes an automatic military intervention clause that requires one side to provide military support if the other is subjected to an armed attack by an external force.
During his visit to North Korea last month, President Xi Jinping proposed to General Secretary Kim Jong-un during their summit that they "use high-level exchanges as a guide and grandly commemorate the 65th anniversary of the signing of the North Korea-China friendship treaty."
China welcomed Premier Pak and his delegation by hanging North Korean flags and Chinese national flags along a 3-kilometer stretch of the highway from Capital International Airport to downtown Beijing today.
Security was tighter than usual at the airport, with numerous armed police and police dogs deployed. Several vehicles with "133" license plates, used by the North Korean embassy and consulate, were spotted in the airport parking lot.
(Photo: Yonhap News)