Wang Yi, director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office (concurrently foreign minister), and Choe Son Hui, North Korea's foreign minister, met in Beijing on the 28th to discuss exchanges and cooperation between the two countries and sent a message effectively aimed at checking the United States by opposing unilateralism and hegemony.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Director Wang said at the talks that "safeguarding, consolidating, and developing China–DPRK (China–North Korea) relations is the unswerving strategic policy of China's party and government," adding, "Our duty is to thoroughly implement the important common understandings reached by the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries, strengthen strategic communication, and tighten exchanges and cooperation to jointly promote regional peace and development."
Wang said, "The current international situation is chaotic, and the harm from power politics and bullying is severe," adding, "China highly appreciates that the DPRK (North Korea) supports China's core interests and major concerns, and supports the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping, as well as the global development, security, civilization, and governance initiatives." He continued, "Together with the DPRK, we are willing to strengthen coordination and alignment in international and regional affairs, oppose all forms of hegemony, and safeguard the two countries' common interests and international fairness and justice."
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that while introducing China's domestic situation, Director Wang stated that China is advancing the cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization. It added that Wang said, "China and the DPRK are both socialist countries led by communist parties, sharing common ideals, beliefs, and goals of struggle," and "the two countries can strengthen exchanges on governance experience to help the development of each side's socialist cause."
Also on the same day, Foreign Minister Choe said that the event earlier this month marking the 80th anniversary of China's Victory Day "showed China's historical achievements, comprehensive national strength, and international status," adding, "the historic meeting opened by the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries provided strategic guidance and strong momentum for deepening DPRK–China (North Korea–China) relations with socialism at the core."
Choe stressed, "The continuous deepening and development of DPRK–China relations is the DPRK's firm position," adding, "The DPRK is willing to work with China to faithfully implement the common understandings of the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries, strengthen strategic communication, promote friendly exchanges, and deepen practical cooperation so as to propel DPRK–China relations to develop to a new and higher level." She added, "We are willing to tighten multilateral coordination with China, jointly check unilateralism and power politics, and push for building a more fair and just world order."
Although Director Wang and Foreign Minister Choe did not mention specific countries in connection with hegemony and unilateralism, the remarks are widely seen as effectively targeting the United States.
Meanwhile, at Wang's invitation, Choe arrived in Beijing the previous day and is scheduled to carry out a four-day visit to China through the 30th. Earlier, when North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairperson Kim Jong Un visited China from the 1st to the 5th and attended the 80th anniversary military parade for China's Victory Day held in Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Choe accompanied Kim. Returning to Beijing again after about three weeks, Choe's trip is her first solo visit to China since taking office as foreign minister in June 2022. It is also the first face-to-face meeting with China's top diplomat.
As North Korea is preparing a large-scale military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party on Oct. 10 next month, there is speculation that the DPRK–China foreign ministers' talks that day may have included related discussions such as a possible visit to North Korea by Xi, given the strong likelihood that a senior Chinese official will visit the North.
In addition, as the U.S. and Chinese leaders are expected to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju at the end of next month, there was also speculation that the DPRK and China might pre-coordinate the Korean Peninsula agenda. However, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs that day only said, "The two countries also exchanged in-depth views on issues of common concern," without disclosing specific details of the discussions.