Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for deepening “strategic coordination and cooperation” with North Korea shortly after receiving a pomp-filled welcome to mark his first visit in seven years. The two sides should inject “powerful momentum” into their ties, Xi said during a meeting June 8 with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un as he kicked off his two-day state visit, according to a readout released by Chinese state media Xinhua.
China was ready to expand cooperation in areas including economics and trade, agriculture, health, construction, science and technology, Xi added.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and first lady Ri Sol Ju greeted Xi at the airport in Pyongyang, with official footage showing the pair clapping as Xi’s plane landed.
