Xi, Kim pledge deeper ties as North Korea visit ends
by Thomas Maresca · UPISEOUL, June 9 (UPI) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a two-day state visit to Pyongyang on Tuesday after he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to open a new chapter in bilateral relations through expanded cooperation across a range of fields.
During talks Monday, the two leaders agreed to strengthen strategic communication and broaden exchanges in political, economic and cultural spheres, according to accounts released by state media in both countries.
Although neither side announced concrete agreements, Kim described Xi's decision to make North Korea his first overseas destination of the year as an expression of the "utmost importance" Beijing places on bilateral ties, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.
"Pyongyang deems it as its honor," Kim said, adding that the visit demonstrated that the two countries had "always stood together on the right side of history for independence and justice."
According to China's Xinhua News Agency, Xi proposed expanding practical cooperation in areas including trade, agriculture, science and technology and healthcare. He also called for increased people-to-people exchanges following the full reopening of border crossings and the resumption of civil aviation flights and international passenger train services.
"In the face of the profound changes unseen in a century that are accelerating across the world, the two sides should take a broad and long-term view, build on past achievements and open up a new future," Xi said.
The visit, Xi's first to Pyongyang since 2019, follows a period of renewed engagement between the longtime allies. Kim traveled to Beijing in September for a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, where he held summit talks with Xi.
China has long been North Korea's largest trading partner and has repeatedly faced accusations from the United States and U.N. experts of failing to fully enforce international sanctions against Pyongyang. The relationship appeared to lose some momentum in recent years, however, as North Korea deepened military cooperation with Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Analysts say North Korea's growing ties with Russia have given Kim greater leverage in dealings with Beijing by reducing his reliance on China as Pyongyang's sole major patron.
Before departing on Tuesday, Xi joined Kim on a visit to Pyongyang's Central Cadres Training School, where they jointly planted a fir tree described by Xinhua as representing the "ever-renewing friendship" between the two countries. The two leaders, accompanied by their wives, also paid tribute at the China-DPRK Friendship Tower honoring Chinese soldiers who fought in the Korean War.
Both KCNA and Xinhua said the two sides exchanged views on international and regional affairs and agreed to strengthen strategic coordination in the face of a changing global environment.
However, neither side publicly referred to North Korea's nuclear weapons program, denuclearization or developments on the Korean Peninsula in their official readouts of the summit.
China has historically backed the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, but the issue has featured less prominently in official Chinese statements as strategic competition with the United States has intensified.
After Xi met with U.S. President Donald Trump last month, the White House said the two leaders had reaffirmed their shared commitment to the denuclearization of North Korea. China's Foreign Ministry, however, said only that the leaders had "exchanged views" on the Korean Peninsula.
After the summit, South Korea's Foreign Ministry reaffirmed that North Korean denuclearization "remains a consistent goal of the international community."
"China is also reaffirming that its position on the Korean Peninsula issue remains unchanged," ministry spokesperson Park Il said at a regular press briefing. "The government hopes that exchanges and cooperation between North Korea and China, including President Xi's visit to North Korea, will continue in a direction that contributes to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula."
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has sought to ease tensions with Pyongyang since taking office last year, but the North has consistently rebuffed Seoul's overtures.
Pyongyang recently revised its constitution to remove references to reunification with South Korea, cementing Kim's push to redefine inter-Korean ties as relations between two separate states.
Some analysts say the shift toward a two-state framework on the peninsula could align with Beijing's interests.
"The shift implies some form of coexistence and thus a lower likelihood that Kim might ever look to start another Korean War to 'unify' the peninsula under his rule," Sean King, senior vice president at New York-based Park Strategies, told UPI. "Any such conflict would greatly complicate life for Beijing."