China, DPRK promise to enhance ties

China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea pledged to strengthen strategic communication, deepen practical cooperation and expand multilateral coordination to safeguard shared interests as Premier Li Qiang met with DPRK Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in Beijing on Monday.

Choe's four-day visit, which started on Saturday, marks her second trip to China within a month. In early September, she accompanied the DPRK's top leader, Kim Jong-un, to attend commemorations in Beijing 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.

On Sept 4, President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Kim, who is also general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, held their first meeting in six years, setting the direction for future bilateral ties.

Li told Choe that China has always viewed and advanced relations with the DPRK from a strategic and long-term perspective. He expressed Beijing's readiness to work with Pyongyang to implement the consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries, carry forward the traditional friendship, and jointly advance the socialist cause of the two countries.

China is prepared to expand exchanges at all levels, promote cooperation across various fields and work for common development, Li said. He added that China appreciates the DPRK's firm support on issues concerning its core interests and looks forward to deepening coordination to better safeguard their shared interests.

Choe reaffirmed that consolidating and developing relations with China is the DPRK's unwavering position and serves the fundamental interests of both sides.

She voiced full support for China's vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity and its four global initiatives, and reiterated the DPRK's firm support for China's core interests, including the Taiwan question and issues related to the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Xizang autonomous region, as well as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

On Sunday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi also met with Choe, and said that China is ready to enhance coordination with the DPRK in regional and international affairs, oppose all forms of hegemony and uphold international fairness and justice.

Analysts said the high-level interactions highlight the deep friendship and mutual trust between the two countries, and that amid global turbulence and complexity, closer strategic communication will help safeguard regional peace and stability.

"As the DPRK will mark the 80th founding anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea next month, Choe's ongoing visit could also help with the preparation work for a senior Chinese official's trip to Pyongyang for the celebrations," said Li Jiacheng, an associate professor at Liaoning University's School of International Economics and International Relations.

According to the Korean Central News Agency, the two foreign ministers exchanged in-depth views on regional and international issues and reached a complete consensus on Sunday.

Zhan Debin, director of the Center for Korean Peninsula Studies at Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, said, "The Korean Peninsula nuclear issue remains an integral part of China-DPRK strategic communication, and Pyongyang is strengthening dialogue with Beijing in hopes that China can convey its policy signals to relevant countries."

Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Monday that China's position on the Korean Peninsula issue remains consistent and stable, and that Beijing will continue to play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula and promoting a political settlement in its own way.