“Small-scale Tea Meeting Followed by Banquet”
Kim: “Firm Support on China’s Core Issues”
Kim Jong Un Departs Beijing Station on Special Train
After visiting China for the first time in over six years, North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un completed his 2-night, 3-day schedule with a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 4th, departing from Beijing. President Xi promised that regardless of changes in international affairs, the friendly relationship would remain unchanged. Kim described the friendly relations between the two countries as a “heritage to be passed down through generations.”
According to China’s state-run CCTV and Xinhua News Agency, Kim left the Great Hall of the People around 8 p.m. (local time) after the summit meeting with President Xi, and his special train departed from Beijing Station around 10 p.m.
The last summit between North Korea and China was about six years ago when President Xi visited Pyongyang in 2019. According to Xinhua News Agency, the recent meeting included a small-scale tea meeting followed by a banquet, which typically includes a dinner. The summit seemed to last about two hours.
The summit was reported to have been conducted in a friendly atmosphere. President Xi commended Kim’s visit by saying that the countries are “good neighbors, friends, and comrades who share destiny and protect each other.” He emphasized China’s commitment to maintaining, strengthening, and developing the traditional friendly relations between the two countries, irrespective of changes in international affairs.
Likewise, Kim responded, “The deep friendship that our leaders forged during the anti-Japanese war is a legacy that needs to be passed down through generations, and the amicable feelings will not change regardless of international developments.” He expressed firm support for China on issues concerning its core interests, such as Taiwan and Tibet, and expressed gratitude for China’s steadfast support and invaluable assistance in building socialist North Korea.
Kim also mentioned the desire to “strengthen exchanges on party and state-level with China, share experiences in party-building and economic development, and aid national construction,” hoping for an increase in reciprocal economic and trade cooperation to achieve substantial results.
Regarding peace on the Korean Peninsula, President Xi stated, “China adheres to a fair and objective position on the Korean Peninsula issue and will continue to cooperate with North Korea for peace and stability on the Peninsula.” Kim appreciated this stance, noting that the countries would “enhance cooperation on multilateral diplomatic platforms such as the UN to safeguard common interests.”