Concerning China’s Zhao Leji’s visit to North Korea, the government emphasized, “Interactions with North Korea by surrounding countries, including those related to the Korean Peninsula, should be conducted while adhering to UN Security Council resolutions and should aid in the denuclearization of North Korea while promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula.”
Kim In Ae, the deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, said during a regular briefing on the 12th, “We are closely monitoring the relationship between North Korea and China, as they have announced their intentions to strengthen mutual exchanges and cooperation today.”
The Workers’ Party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported that Zhao, the President of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), arrived in Pyongyang on the 11th and held talks with Choe Ryong Hae, the Chairman of the Supreme People’s Assembly. The paper reported that the two discussed issues on promoting exchanges and cooperation across all fields to develop further and elevate the traditional friendship between North Korea and China in the Year of China-North Korea Friendship.
Deputy Spokesperson Kim, regarding the prospect of discussions on a North Korea-China summit between Kim Jong Un, the General Secretary of the Workers’ Party, and Xi Jinping, the President of China, during Zhao’s visit to North Korea, stated, “There is no new information to confirm. We will keep a close watch on related trends in the future.”