North Korea and China discussed plans for exchange and cooperation.
On the 16th, according to the Korean Central News Agency, Jo Yong-won, a secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling party, met in Pyongyang with a Chinese delegation visiting to mark the 65th anniversary of the friendship treaty between North Korea and China. Wang Huning, chair of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), who leads the Chinese delegation, is the fourth-highest-ranking figure in the Chinese Communist Party.
Secretary Jo sat down for talks with Chair Wang at the Pyongyang Assembly Hall. Jo said that amid the rapidly changing global political landscape, the two countries should carry forward the fundamental spirit of the treaty of friendship and cooperation, join forces to successfully advance the shared socialist cause, and strengthen mutual support. Jo added that deepening the friendship is a demand of the times.
Jo went on to say, "Under the direct attention and wise leadership of Comrade Kim Jong-un and Comrade Xi Jinping, the DPRK-China friendship is entering a new period of vitality in its own development," adding, "we will tighten strategic communication and tactical cooperation between the two parties and the two countries and expand and develop bilateral relations in multiple fields."
In response, Chair Wang said the treaty of friendship between the two countries laid a legal foundation to more firmly carry on the deep ties forged with blood in the past. Wang also stressed that meaningfully celebrating the 65th anniversary of the treaty is an important decision jointly reached by the top leaders of the two countries.
Wang also reiterated that the commitments made by the two leaders at the past Pyongyang summit are regarded as the most important guidelines, and that elevating DPRK-China relations to a higher level is the firm position of China's party and government.
At the meeting, the two countries also agreed on ways to enhance cooperation not only in party-to-party exchanges but also in various fields including the economy and culture to improve the quality of life of the two peoples. Attending on the North Korean side were Kim Hyong-sik, vice chair of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly; Mun Song-hyok, vice department director of the ruling party; Kim Myong-su, vice minister of foreign affairs; and Kang Chol-ho, vice minister of urban management. On the Chinese side, key members of the delegation included Wang Dongfeng, vice chair of the CPPCC; Liu Haixing, head of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China; Qi Yu, party secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Pei Jinja, minister of veterans affairs; and Wang Yajun, Chinese ambassador to North Korea.
Earlier, the Chinese delegation led by Chair Wang set foot in North Korea via Pyongyang International Airport to attend events marking the 65th anniversary of the DPRK-China friendship treaty. At the airport, Vice Chair Kim Hyong-sik, Vice Director Mun Song-hyok and Vice Minister Kim Myong-su warmly welcomed them. Honor guards of the Korean People's Army held a review, and North Korean residents gathered for the welcome waved the national flag and the Five-star Red Flag to greet the delegation.
After disembarking, the Chinese delegation first visited the Friendship Tower, built to honor the Chinese People's Volunteers (the Chinese People's Volunteer Army) who died in North Korean areas during the 1950–53 Korean War. The wreath offered by the delegation bore a message that the spirits of the volunteer martyrs would never fade, and Chair Wang wrote in the guest book a call to carry forward the traditional friendship to shine even more by inheriting the intentions of those who went before. The ruling party's Central Committee and the government hosted a banquet that evening to welcome the Chinese delegation.
At North Korea's invitation, the Chinese delegation will make a three-day goodwill visit to the country. This is Chair Wang's first trip to North Korea since accompanying then-President Hu Jintao on his visit in 2005. Notably, the visit came right after a North Korean delegation led by Premier Pak Thae-song returned from an official visit to China. This is seen as a move by the two countries to widely showcase their long-standing friendship and strategic communication through the highest-level personnel exchanges.