North Korea lauds China ties as Xi Jinping wraps up trip

North Korea lauded its ties with historic ally China on Friday as Xi Jinping wrapped up a highly symbolic two-day visit to his nuclear-armed neighbour, with both countries facing deadlock in their negotiations with US President Donald Trump. Kim Jong Un told the Chinese president that his visit was an opportunity to demonstrate “the immutability and invincibility of the DPRK-China friendship before the world”, the KCNA news agency reported, using the abbreviation of North Korea’s official name.

At a time when “serious and complicated changes are happening in international and regional situations”, KCNA said, the two leaders agreed to “promote close strategic communication” and develop their “common interests”. Pyongyang pulled out all the stops to welcome Xi, the first Chinese president to visit in 14 years -- a period in which Pyongyang has carried out five nuclear tests and launched missiles capable of reaching the entire US mainland.

Kim travelled to China three more times to meet Xi, and Pyongyang has been increasingly keen for the Chinese president to reciprocate. The world’s top two economies are embroiled in protracted trade war and their leaders are expected to meet in Osaka. Similarly, nuclear negotiations between the North and the US are also deadlocked, after the second summit between Kim and Trump broke up in Hanoi in February with the two unable to reach a deal on sanctions relief and what the North might give up in return.

Kim and Xi rode together through the streets of Pyongyang in an open-topped limousine, and on Thursday evening Xi and his entourage were treated to a special performance of the North’s Mass Games. It featured several scenes of Chinese-Korean history, including their soldiers fighting together in the Korean War, while the ever-changing backdrop -- made up of thousands of children turning the pages of coloured books -- displayed slogans of friendship and thanks, and portraits of both Xi and Kim.

Songs in the show included “I love thee, China”, and the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the mouthpiece of the North’s ruling party, carried front-page pictures of Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju welcoming Xi.