A Deeper Connection

In a cordial and friendly atmosphere, Xi and Kim had an all-round and in-depth exchange on China-DPRK relations and major issues of common concern.

“Comrade Chairman made a special trip to China to meet with me again after just some 40 days at a crucial time when the Korean Peninsula situation is undergoing profound and complex changes,” Xi said. This embodies the great importance that Kim and the WPK Central Committee have placed on the relations between the two parties and the two countries and to their strategic communication.

“After the first meeting between me and Comrade Chairman, both China-DPRK relations and the Korean Peninsula situa- tion have made positive progress. I’m very happy about that,” Xi said.

The Chinese president said he was will- ing to meet Kim again to make joint efforts to push the healthy and stable develop- ment of China-DPRK relations, realize long- lasting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and promote regional peace, stability and prosperity.

For his part, Kim said both the DPRK- China friendship and the Korean Peninsula situation have undergone meaningful progress since March.

“These are the positive outcomes of the historic meeting between me and Comrade General Secretary,” he said. At a critical moment when regional conditions are developing rapidly, Kim said he came to China again to meet with Xi to inform him of the situation, hoping to strengthen stra- tegic communication and cooperation with China, deepen the DPRK-China friendship and promote regional peace and stability. Xi commented that at their historic fi rst meeting in Beijing in March, he and Kim held long and in-depth talks and reached principled consensus on four aspects of developing China-DPRK relations in the new era.

First, the China-DPRK traditional friend- ship has been a precious treasure for both countries. It is an unswerving principle, Xi said, and the only correct choice for both countries to develop friendly and coopera- tive China-DPRK relations.

Second, both China and the DPRK are socialist countries, and their bilateral rela- tions are of major strategic significance. Both sides need to enhance unity, coop- eration, exchanges and mutual learning. Third, high-level exchanges between the two parties play an irreplaceably sig- nificant role in guiding bilateral relations, Xi said. The two sides should maintain frequent exchanges, strengthen strategic communication, deepen understanding and mutual trust and safeguard common interests.

Fourth, Xi said that cementing the foundation of people-to-people friend- ship is an important channel to advance the development of China-DPRK relations. The two sides should, by multiple means, enhance people-to-people communication and exchanges to create a sound base of popular will for the advancement of China- DPRK relations.

Xi added that with concerted efforts from both sides, all of these agreements are being implemented well.

In little over a month, he and Kim have met twice and they have been keeping in close contact, Xi said, adding that he is will- ing to work together with Kim to continue to guide relevant departments on both sides to soundly implement the consensus they have reached, promote the continu- ous advancement of China-DPRK relations, benefi t the two countries and two peoples, and make positive contributions to the peace and stability of the region.

Xi also extended sincere gratitude to Kim for his great attentiveness and earnest attitude shown after a major road accident in the DPRK resulted in casualties from both countries.

Kim said comrade-like trust and friend- ship between the elder generations of leaders from the two parties and countries form the close bond and solid foundation for the traditional friendship between the DPRK and China.

“Comrade General Secretary and I have carried on this fi ne tradition to hold the his- toric meeting with fruitful outcomes, and promoted the unprecedentedly vigorous development of DPRK-China relations,” he said.

Kim said that he believes his second meeting with Xi will deepen mutual trust and push the friendly and cooperative DPRK-China relationship to achieve an even closer development across the board in line with the demands of the new era.

Talking about the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Xi said he and Kim fully exchanged views and reached important consensus during their fi rst meeting, add- ing that Kim has recently made active efforts to promote dialogue and the easing of tensions on the peninsula with construc- tive progress being made.

He noted that with joint efforts from relevant parties, the momentum of dia- logue and the alleviation of tensions on the peninsula are being consolidated in a direc- tion that is conducive to a political solution. China supports the DPRK’s adherence to the denuclearization of the peninsula and backs dialogue and consultation be- tween the DPRK and the United States for resolving the peninsula issue, Xi said. “China is willing to continue to work with all relevant parties and play an active role in comprehensively advancing the process of the peaceful resolution of the peninsula issue through dialogue, and real- izing long-term peace and stability in the region,” he said.

Speaking highly of Xi’s profound vision and extraordinary wisdom, Kim expressed his gratitude to China for its long-standing and signifi cant contribution to realizing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and safeguarding peace and stability in the region. It has been the DPRK’s consistent and clear position to achieve denucleariza- tion on the Korean Peninsula, Kim said. As long as relevant parties abolish their hostile policies and remove security threats against the DPRK, there is no need for the DPRK to be a nuclear state and denuclear- ization can be realized, he added.

Kim expressed his hope that the DPRK and the United States would build mutual trust through dialogue. He said the relevant sides would take phased and synchronous measures in a responsible manner so as to comprehensively advance the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue and eventually achieve denuclearization and lasting peace on the peninsula. Kim also briefed Xi on the latest developments in the DPRK, including party building.

Xi said the Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh WPK Central Committee advanced a strategic line of concentrating all efforts on socialist economic construction, and announced the decision to discontinue nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic rocket test-fi res and dismantle its northern nuclear testing ground. This showed the great importance Kim attaches to develop- ing the economy and improving people’s livelihood, along with his resolute deter- mination to safeguard regional peace and stability.

China appreciates the move, Xi said, and supports the DPRK in shifting its stra- tegic focus to economic construction and taking a development path suitable to its own national situation.

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