FMs vow closer China-DPRK cooperation

Foreign Minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Choe Son-hui kicked off her second visit to China in a month over the weekend, a trip that is aimed at underscoring closer bilateral ties and the two sides' shared commitment to regional peace and stability.

The four-day visit, which began on Saturday, comes shortly after DPRK top leader Kim Jong-un's trip to Beijing earlier this month to attend commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War. Choe was a member of Kim's delegation.

During his meeting with Kim, who is also general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, on Sept 4, President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the DPRK leader's attendance at the commemorations provided an important opportunity for the two parties and the two countries to further advance their friendly and cooperative relations.

On Sunday, Choe met with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, marking her first one-on-one meeting with her Chinese counterpart since taking office as the DPRK's foreign minister in June 2022.

During the meeting, Wang said the two countries should strengthen strategic communication and enhance exchanges and cooperation to better improve their people's well-being and jointly promote regional peace and development.

China appreciates the DPRK's firm support on issues concerning its core interests and major concerns, and stands ready to strengthen coordination with the DPRK in international and regional affairs, oppose all forms of hegemony, and safeguard their common interests as well as international fairness and justice, Wang added.

Choe expressed the DPRK's readiness to work with China to implement the consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and countries, and to further elevate bilateral ties. She said the DPRK firmly supports the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity and China's major global initiatives, especially the newly proposed Global Governance Initiative.

The DPRK is willing to strengthen multilateral cooperation with China in order to jointly oppose unilateralism and power politics and promote a fairer, more equitable world order, Choe added.

It is reported that part of Choe's mission in Beijing is to invite Chinese leaders to attend next month's military parade in Pyongyang marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea.

China and the DPRK, two traditionally friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, have seen increasingly active economic exchanges. In the first half of this year, China's exports to the DPRK rose more than 30 percent year-on-year to $1.05 billion, while imports grew over 20 percent to $210 million, according to the General Administration of Customs.

The Yonhap News Agency reported that the DPRK has unveiled a timetable for passenger train services linking its capital, Pyongyang, to Beijing. Currently, passenger train services between the two sides remain suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analysts said that Choe's visit reflects joint efforts to consolidate the strategic partnership, expand mutually beneficial economic cooperation and coordinate positions on issues concerning the Korean Peninsula.

Yang Danzhi, an international affairs expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the friendship between the two neighbors, passed down by elder generations, has stood the test of time and is marked by mutual support and win-win cooperation.

Yang noted that consolidating and deepening ties serves the interests of both nations and their shared regional concerns.

Choe's visit comes as the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula has drawn significant international attention recently. At the 13th Session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly, Kim said the DPRK would never abandon its nuclear weapons, but could resume talks with the United States if Washington drops its preoccupation with denuclearization and seeks peaceful coexistence with the DPRK.

In response, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a recent news briefing that China is closely following developments on the peninsula. He urged all parties to address the root causes, stay committed to a political solution, and work together to ease tensions and safeguard regional stability.

Yang, the scholar, said that uncertainty on the peninsula is growing as Washington and its allies disregard the DPRK's security concerns and take provocative actions that escalate tensions.

Preserving peace and stability on the peninsula and advancing a political settlement serves the common interests of all parties, he said.

zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn