PYONGYANG – China’s top legislator met with a senior North Korean official for talks on cooperation during a visit to Pyongyang this week, North Korean state media said Friday, in one of the most high-level meetings between the allies in years.
Beijing’s third highest-ranking official Zhao Leji — a member of the powerful Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo — is on a goodwill visit to the nuclear-armed North as the two countries mark 75 years of diplomatic ties.
Zhao arrived in the North Korean capital on Thursday and met North Korean counterpart Choe Ryong Hae, discussing “exchange and cooperation in all fields, including politics, economy and culture,” KCNA said according to AFP.
“The talks exchanged views on the regional and international issues of mutual concern,” it added, without specifying.
Xi last met Kim in 2019 before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, making the Pyongyang meeting between Zhao and Choe one of the most high-level meetings in years.
South Korean local media reports said Zhao’s visit could include planning for Kim’s next potential state visit to Beijing.
Discussion about this post