[Before departing this week, Xi published a letter in a North Korean newspaper calling for “a political resolution to issues on the Korean Peninsula and securing peace and stability in the region.”]
By
Jeanne Whalen and Simon Denyer
 |
|
In
this image made from video, North Korean people and a guard of honor welcome
a
plane with Chinese President Xi Jinping on his arrival at an airport
in
Pyongyang, Thursday. (AP)
|
BEIJING
— Chinese President Xi Jinping was greeted by
cheering crowds after arriving in North Korea for a summit with Kim Jong Un on
Thursday, becoming the first Chinese leader to travel to the country in 14
years.
His two-day trip comes days before Xi is
scheduled to meet with President Trump during a Group of 20 summit in Japan,
leading experts to interpret the Pyongyang trip partly as a means to strengthen
China’s hand in its trade war with Washington.
Trump’s own efforts to engage Kim in
denuclearization talks stalled after a failed summit in February.
“Xi has the power to bring Kim back to the
negotiating table, which will be welcomed by Trump,” said Park Byung-kwang, a
researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy in Seoul. “Xi can
use this leverage to strengthen China’s position in trade talks with the United
States. But if Xi’s talks with Trump at the G-20 don’t end well, then Beijing
can potentially pull Pyongyang away from Washington.”
Chinese state media carried video, images and
reports of Xi being given a grand welcome at Pyongyang airport, with Kim and
wife Ri Sol Ju “waiting smilingly by the airstair as thousands of North Koreans
cheered.”
After a 21-gun salute, Xi and Kim watched a
military parade together, Chinese media said. Xi was then driven in an open-top
car, standing with Kim at his side and waving at crowds of people lining the
streets, on bridges and looking from the windows of apartment buildings.
“Tens of thousands of residents in their
Sunday best lined the streets, waving Chinese and North Korean flags and
bouquets and shouting enthusiastically in welcome of their distinguished
Chinese guest,” Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
Xi then went to a square near a mausoleum for
North Korea’s founding ruler, Kim Il Sung, where he greeted members of North
Korea’s ruling party. He later sat down for talks with Kim Jong Un.
Before departing this week, Xi published a
letter in a North Korean newspaper calling for “a political resolution to
issues on the Korean Peninsula and securing peace and stability in the region.”
Park said the comment means Xi is “telling
Pyongyang to refrain from provocations and Washington to hold back military threats.”
Xi also said China supports North Korea’s
efforts to maintain “the right direction to politically resolve the issues on
the Korean Peninsula,” adding that Pyongyang’s “rational interests” should be
met “through dialogue.”
There have been four meetings between Xi and
Kim in China over the past two years. On two occasions, they convened days
before Kim met with Trump for talks.
Xi’s North Korea visit will be the first by a
Chinese leader since Hu Jintao, Xi’s predecessor, met with Kim’s father, Kim
Jong Il, in Pyongyang in 2005. Xi is accompanied on his visit by first lady
Peng Liyuan, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and National Development and Reform
Commission Minister He Lifeng, Chinese state media reported.
South Korea’s government this week welcomed
the visit as a sign that the dialogue and peace process over North Korea are
resuming.
Tong Zhao, a fellow at the Carnegie-Tsinghua
Center for Global Policy in Beijing, said Xi’s visit was partly aimed at
strengthening the relationship between China and North Korea and maintaining
China’s regional influence — but there was also an implicit message for
Washington.
“By demonstrating its unique relations with
[North Korea] at a time when neither Washington nor Seoul is able to resume
high-level engagements with Pyongyang, Beijing is signaling to Washington that
it is still a helpful, constructive and indispensable partner to resolve
important regional problems,” Zhao said.
“This could help stabilize the down-spiraling
China-U.S. relationship by persuading Washington to take a more cooperative
rather than confrontational approach in dealing with Beijing,” he said.
The visit by Xi marks the start of diplomatic
activity, with Xi also set to meet Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in
at the Group of 20 summit in Japan next week. Trump also is due to travel from
there for a separate summit with Moon in Seoul.
Lyric Li in Beijing and Min Joo Kim in Seoul
contributed to this report.
Read more:
