North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warmly greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping in Pyongyang Monday, kicking off Xi's two-day state visit to the internationally isolated country - which is his first trip there in seven years.
Xi has called for deepening "strategic coordination and cooperation" with North Korea shortly after receiving a lavish, red carpet welcome at the airport. The two sides should inject "powerful momentum" into their ties, Xi said according to a readout released by Chinese state media Xinhua.
The Chinese leader spoke of a friendship that was 'generational' with the DPRK, in advancement of the 'socialist cause'.
There is plenty that is ideological found within the official readout in the wake of the two leaders' initial meeting, per Xinhua:
No matter how the international situation changes, the Chinese party and government's firm stance on highly valuing China-DPRK traditional friendship will not change, the firm support for General Secretary Kim in leading the DPRK's socialist cause will not change, and the firm commitment to safeguarding the shared interests of the two countries and preserving a favorable strategic environment will not change, Xi said.
Xi pointed out that, in the face of the profound changes unseen in a century that are accelerating across the world, the two sides should take a broad and long-term view, build on past achievements and open up a new future, draw wisdom from the development process of the relations between the two parties and the two countries, seize opportunities in the prevailing trend of human history, inject new contemporary connotations and strong impetus into the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK, and open up a brighter prospect for the socialist cause of the two countries as well as regional peace and development.
This cooperation is expected to be on several fronts, including economics and trade, agriculture, health, construction, as well as science and technology, Xi underscored.
Kim along with his first lady, Ri Sol Ju, enthusiastically greeted Xi and were shown clapping as the Chinese presidential plane touched down earlier in the day. Huge portraits of Xi and Kim have been installed over Pyongyang's main Kim Il Sung Square, where Xi's motorcade was also greeted with big displays of pageantry, including a mounted cavalry escort.
NBC has some interesting commentary which points out that Kim is in a rare position of strength based on some recent firm, anti-West geopolitical stances taken and maintained:
But the North Korean leader is playing host from a position of rare strength, and his country has come a long way since Xi Jinping’s last visit seven years ago.
Kim’s backing of Russia’s war with Ukraine has paid dividends, his weapons program has cemented North Korea’s status as a de facto nuclear state, and an economy that buckled under the pressure of pandemic isolation and sanctions has since rebounded.
Indeed, Kim has of late been aggressively hyping his country's nuclear modernization and expanse program. There's not doubt he's also closely following and taking notes on the Iran crisis.
Iran, which does not yet have nuclear weapons status, has been attacked by the United States and Israel - and so Pyongyang sees its nuclear expanse path as more justified than ever at this point, also given Washington still views North Korea as a 'pariah' state.
Another interesting development mentioned in state media relates to efforts to open borders: "Xi called on both sides to leverage the opportunity of the full reopening of border crossings and the resumption of civil aviation flights and international passenger trains to increase people-to-people exchanges and foster mutual interaction," wrote Xinhua.