North Korea’s Kim makes unannounced visit to Chinese border city
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un crossed a major bridge linking North Korea with the Chinese border city of Dandong that officially opened last week.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is believed to have arrived in Dandong, a Chinese border city, via the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge. This bridge, officially completed last year after a 12-year construction period, further strengthens the economic ties between China and North Korea, a relationship that has not always been smooth.
China is North Korea's largest trading partner and a crucial source of diplomatic, economic, and political support. South Korean news outlets reported that Kim was greeted by Chinese Premier Li Qiang upon his arrival, and he is expected to return to North Korea the same day, according to unnamed sources. This visit comes as world leaders prepare for the upcoming Apec summit in China and ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting with other top Communist Party officials in Beijing.
North Korea's leader is likely to use this visit to reaffirm the economic cooperation agreed upon during Xi's visit and to seek Beijing's support for potential talks with US President Donald Trump.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
