North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui met Chinese Premier Li Qiang, regarded as China's No. 2, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the 29th, North Korean media reported.
According to the Korean Central News Agency on the 30th, Choe, the foreign minister, met Premier Li and mentioned the summit earlier this month between Chinese President Xi Jinping and State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un. Referring to the agreement by the two countries to invigorate high-level exchanges, Choe stressed that "it is North Korea's unwavering position to further strengthen and develop the DPRK-China friendship and cooperation in line with the demands of the times."
Choe said, "As this year is the final year of the 'five-year plan for national economic development,' we are concentrating all efforts on definitively wrapping up all projects and preparing to successfully greet the 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea," and added, "We wish that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China with Comrade General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core, continuous achievements will be made in the struggle of the Chinese people."
In response, Premier Li likewise referred to the results of the DPRK-China summit, saying, "We have reached important common understandings on issues arising in further developing the traditional China–DPRK friendship and cooperation."
From a long-term perspective, pushing forward the development of bilateral relations is China's unwavering foreign policy, and the premier's position is to strengthen strategic communication and actively advance the socialist cause.
Earlier, Chinese media reported that Choe said North Korea would "continue to firmly support China's position on issues related to China's core interests, including Taiwan, Xinjiang (Uyghur), Xizang (Tibet), and Hong Kong." However, that content was reportedly not included in North Korea's report that day.
Choe arrived in Beijing on the 27th at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and will carry out a four-day visit through the 30th. It comes about three weeks after she visited China to attend the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of China's Victory Day in Beijing.
The two countries also reaffirmed their stance to strengthen strategic communication at the foreign ministers' meeting held a day earlier.