Beijing, Oct 7 (AP) China's Premier Li Qiang is set to visit North Korea this week, marking the highest-level Chinese leadership visit since 2019. He will head a delegation from Thursday to Saturday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of North Korea's ruling party, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
China has been a critical ally and support source for North Korea, despite leader Kim Jong Un's recent efforts to balance relations by strengthening ties with Russia, notably sending troops to aid Moscow in its conflict with Ukraine. Russia will be represented by former President Dmitri Medvedev at the anniversary events, as reported by North Korea's KCNA news agency.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry emphasized the "traditional friendship" and "unswerving strategic policy" to maintain and enhance relations with North Korea, underscoring the importance of their bond. Premier Li, a top figure on the Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee, functions as a crucial representative in global diplomacy. As President Xi Jinping reduces foreign travel, Li has increasingly taken on such roles.
Xi Jinping's last North Korea visit was in 2019, pre-dating the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Vietnamese leader To Lam will also attend the celebrations, marking the first Vietnamese visit to North Korea since 2007. He holds the position of general secretary of the Communist Party, akin to Xi in China and Kim in North Korea's Workers' Party.
Additionally, the President of Laos, Thongloun Sisoulith, is scheduled to attend, according to KCNA. He serves as the general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. Since last year, China and North Korea have increased high-level interactions, with Politburo Standing Committee member Zhao Leji visiting Pyongyang in April, and Kim Jong Un recently attending a military parade in Beijing with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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