It said the visit came at a time of “complex international relations” and proved that Beijing attached “high importance” to its ties with North Korea. Xi is expected to pay homage at Pyongyang’s Friendship Tower, a monument to the Chinese troops who saved North Korea from defeat during the Korean war. There were reports that China may send hundreds of thousands of tons of rice to drought-stricken North Korea after the visit. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Kim Jong-un and Xi Jinping at their meeting in Beijing, China, in 2018. Photograph: APIn a rare commentary in the Rodong Sinmun published before his visit, Xi suggested China could play a role in bridging the gap between North Korea and the US over denuclearisation.

Source: The Guardian June 20, 2019 03:15 UTC