Afghanistan, June 6 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea on Monday for a two-day state visit, marking his first trip to Pyongyang in nearly seven years and signaling Beijing's efforts to strengthen ties with its longtime ally after years of limited engagement following the COVID-19 pandemic.
China announced the visit on Friday, saying Xi will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for talks on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest. The visit will be Xi's first foreign trip of the year and comes amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in Northeast Asia.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said both countries would use the visit to further develop relations in line with "the requirements of the new era...