NEW DELHI: Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a welcome ceremony in Pyongyang on Monday as Xi began his first state visit to North Korea in seven years.Ahead of his meeting with Kim, Xi reiterated Beijing’s commitment to strengthening ties with Pyongyang and said he looked forward to exchanging views on the future development of bilateral relations.In a signed article published in Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea, Xi described China and North Korea as “friendly socialist neighbours” that share a common future and an “unbreakable and enduring” friendship despite changes in the international landscape.“High-level strategic coordination gives China-DPRK relations their contemporary significance,” Xi said.“Promoting long-term peace and stability in the region, as well as world peace and stability, is a common pursuit of the two parties, the two countries and their peoples,” he added.According to China Daily, Xi highlighted the importance of the long-standing relationship between the two countries and said both sides firmly support each other in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests. He also said Beijing and Pyongyang work together to uphold “regional peace and tranquillity, international fairness and justice, and the postwar international order”.Xi recalled his six previous meetings with Kim, saying top-level strategic guidance remained the greatest strength of bilateral ties and reflected close communication between the two leaderships.The visit comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula and growing international scrutiny of North Korea’s nuclear programme.Just a day before Xi’s arrival, Kim’s influential sister, Kim Yo Jong, reiterated that North Korea’s status as a nuclear weapons state was non-negotiable.“The DPRK’s status as a nuclear weapons state is the line of no retreat, and it is a stark reality whether anyone recognises it or not,” she said in remarks carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).Her comments were widely seen as a signal that Pyongyang’s nuclear programme would not be open for discussion during the summit between Xi and Kim.Xi’s two-day visit, scheduled from June 8 to 9, is being closely watched by regional powers as China seeks to maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula while deepening cooperation with one of its closest strategic partners.
