Leading a party-state delegation to Pyongyang July 15–17, as the two countries mark 65 years of their friendship treaty with quickening high-level exchanges.
A Chinese party and government delegation led by Wang Huning, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the Communist Party's fourth-ranked leader, is paying an official goodwill visit to North Korea from July 15 to 17, Chinese state media and Korean outlets reported.
광고 문의 · 300×250It is the first visit to the North by a sitting CPPCC chairman since Deng Xiaoping in 1982 — a 44-year gap that underscores the visit's symbolism.
Treaty at 65: high-level traffic picks up
This year marks the 65th anniversary of the China–DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, and senior officials have been shuttling between the two capitals all year. The visit extends that pattern.
During his stay Wang is expected to meet North Korea's leadership to discuss strategic communication and expanded exchanges and cooperation.
What it means for the peninsula
Closer Beijing–Pyongyang ties bear directly on the diplomatic map of the peninsula and Northeast Asia. China stresses both ‘traditional friendship’ and ‘regional stability,’ and neighboring capitals are watching the tone of the messages this trip produces.