SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un expressed backing for China’s efforts to establish a multipolar global order and advocated for strengthened relations between the longtime allies during discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to state media reports released Saturday.
The Friday meeting saw Kim pledge his administration’s complete backing for Chinese initiatives to maintain territorial unity under Beijing’s “one-China principle,” which refers to China’s official stance that Taiwan represents an integral part of Chinese territory, the Korean Central News Agency reported.
Kim also presented North Korea’s stance on various regional and global matters of shared interest and emphasized that continued strengthening of bilateral relations has gained greater importance given today’s geopolitical climate, KCNA stated.
Wang, conducting a two-day visit to North Korea, described the nations’ relationship as moving into a “new phase” after last year’s summit between Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
By adopting concepts of a “new Cold War” and a “multipolarized world,” Kim has worked to escape international isolation and pursue a more aggressive foreign policy through expanded relationships with nations in conflict with the United States.
Although Russia has become Kim’s primary foreign policy focus recently, with North Korea providing thousands of soldiers and substantial weapons supplies for Moscow’s Ukraine conflict, he has simultaneously strengthened connections with China, the North’s historic primary partner and economic supporter.
Kim participated alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin in a World War II commemoration in Beijing during September and conducted his first meeting with Xi Jinping in six years, actions that reinforced his efforts to present North Korea as part of a coalition opposing Washington.
North Korea and China reestablished direct aviation and rail passenger connections last month, services that had been halted since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.
Wang reached Pyongyang on Thursday for his first North Korean visit in seven years. He previously met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Sun Hui to explore methods for enhancing cooperation and exchanges while conducting comprehensive discussions on international matters, according to state media from both nations.
The official media sources did not indicate whether Wang and North Korean representatives addressed topics concerning the United States or the continuing Middle East conflict.
Wang’s North Korean trip occurred ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned Beijing visit for a rescheduled summit with Xi Jinping in May. Several South Korean officials have expressed optimism that the Trump-Xi meeting might create diplomatic opportunities with Pyongyang.
Kim has halted all significant communication with the United States and South Korea following the breakdown of his diplomatic efforts with Trump in 2019 during the American president’s initial term. Kim has since adopted an uncompromising position toward South Korea, which he now characterizes as his “most hostile” opponent, and has declined U.S. proposals to restart negotiations, demanding Washington abandon its requirement for North Korean denuclearization as a condition.
