Overview
- North Korean Premier Pak Thae‑song led a party and government delegation to Beijing, arriving Friday for a three‑day visit and meeting Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People.
- Xi and Kim exchanged congratulatory letters published July 11 in which Xi said China’s commitment to the traditional friendship would not change regardless of how the international situation evolves.
- The 1961 Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, which contains a mutual‑defence clause, was central to official remarks and remains Beijing’s only active formal military pact.
- Chinese and DPRK officials said they will expand cooperation in politics, trade, science, technology and culture, and North Korea pledged support for China’s core interests during talks and commemorative events.
- South Korea, the United States and Japan are monitoring the public reaffirmation of ties, which could prompt adjustments in regional deterrence and diplomacy as Pyongyang also grows closer to Russia.