Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s ruler, greeted President Xi Jinping of China this week with the pomp and ceremony befitting the leader of the North’s oldest ally, closest friend and largest trading partner.
Chinese leaders rarely visit North Korea, a country frequently described in the Western news media as “isolated” and a “pariah.” But Mr. Xi’s visit on Thursday and Friday came at a critical time for both the North and China, with each country locked in a stalled dispute with the United States.
Mr. Xi, like his young North Korean counterpart, is routinely called a friend by President Trump. Nevertheless, Mr. Trump has leaned increasingly hard on both leaders to cut deals and has threatened severe consequences for failing to do so.
The visit comes as China is locked in a potentially devastating trade war with the United States, and as Washington maintains punishing sanctions against the North for failing to dismantle its nuclear weapons program.
Mr. Xi’s two-day state visit began on Thursday with a 21-gun salute and the adoration of crowds, who cheered as his motorcade wound its way to the mausoleum for Mr. Kim’s father and grandfather, who preceded him in leading the North. Mr. Xi and Mr. Kim waved back to onlookers from the open sunroof of a limousine.
That evening, their wives attended the so-called mass games, a dizzying display of propaganda, music and dance at a packed, 110,000-seat May Day Stadium.
People in the stands turned flip-cards in precise unison, creating an image of the Chinese flag, then flipped their cards to produce the North Korean flag.
China and North Korea are commemorating 70 years of diplomatic relations. Officially, at least, the visit offers their leaders a chance to recommit to a friendship that was strained by North Korea’s nuclear and long-range missile tests, but which has improved since Mr. Kim halted such tests at the end of 2017.
But analysts said the meeting was largely meant to send a message directly to the White House.
“Xi Jinping wants to secure leverage before he meets Trump” later this month at the Group of 20 summit meeting in Japan, said Lee Seong-hyon, an analyst at the Sejong Institute in South Korea. “He is sending a signal to Washington that China has a big role to play in achieving the denuclearization of North Korea and that the U.S. should not mistreat China.”
Source : Nytimes
