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Xi Jinping reaffirms China’s close ties with North Korea

This article is more than 12 months old

SEOUL: Chinese President Xi Jinping has written a rare opinion piece in North Korea's official newspaper yesterday, just a day before his scheduled visit to Pyongyang, saying Beijing's friendship with the isolated North is "irreplaceable".

Mr Xi is to visit Pyongyang today and tomorrow at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The visit comes as nuclear negotiations between Kim and US President Donald Trump have soured after a second summit in February broke up without a deal.

JOINT PLAN

In the op-ed piece in the Rodong Sinmun - the official mouthpiece of the North's ruling Worker's Party - Mr Xi said Beijing is willing to make a joint plan with Pyongyang to achieve "permanent stability" in the East Asian region.

"We will actively contribute to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity by strengthening communication and coordination with North Korea and other relevant parties to make progress in talks and negotiations on the issues on the Korean Peninsula,"Mr Xi said in the piece.

China and North Korea have worked to improve relations in the past year after they deteriorated as Beijing backed a series of UN sanctions against its ally over its nuclear activities.

The trip by the leader of the North's key diplomatic ally and main provider of trade and aid has long been awaited, and comes after Mr Kim travelled to China four times for meetings with Mr Xi. It will be the first trip to Pyongyang by a Chinese president since 2005.

In the op-ed, Mr Xi stressed that this year marks the 70th anniversary of Beijing-Pyongyang relations, and said their friendship gets stronger as time passes.

"Over the past 70 years we (North Korea and China) have been unyieldingly advancing forward on the same boat, breaking through rain and wind," he wrote. "One can say this friendship is irreplaceable even with millions of fortune."

The timing of Mr Xi's visit is likely to raise eyebrows at the White House as it comes one week before the G-20 summit in Japan, where Mr Trump expects to meet Mr Xi to discuss their trade war.

Analysts say Mr Xi's journey is intended as a signal to Mr Trump of his influence and backing for Mr Kim. - AFP

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