Chines foreign minister lands in North Korea in rare high-level trip

BEIJING/PYONGYANG: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has arrived in North Korea for high-level talks with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son-hui, marking the first visit by a Chinese foreign minister to the isolated country since 2019, state media and officials said.

The two-day visit, running from April 9-10, comes as Beijing seeks to revive diplomatic engagement with Pyongyang and strengthen strategic ties ahead of a possible meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump expected in May.

China’s Foreign Ministry said the visit represents an important step in advancing bilateral relations, with spokesperson Mao Ning saying Beijing is “willing to strengthen strategic communication” and enhance cooperation with North Korea.

“Wang Yi’s visit is an important move to advance bilateral ties,” Mao told a regular briefing.

Beijing has been working to bring North Korea back into its diplomatic orbit after exchanges between the two countries were curtailed during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that period, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un strengthened ties with Moscow, including support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Relations between Beijing and Pyongyang have shown signs of recovery in recent months, including the resumption in March of a passenger train service between Beijing and Pyongyang after a six-year suspension.

Analysts say Wang’s visit underscores China’s efforts to reassert influence in the region while navigating shifting geopolitical dynamics involving the United States, North Korea and Russia.

The talks are expected to cover bilateral ties, regional security and broader coordination, as China seeks to balance its relations with both Washington and Pyongyang ahead of key diplomatic engagements in the coming months.