China president's North Korea visit a show of unity against the US
China and North Korea were on the same side in the Korean War and, again, they find themselves in conflict with the Americans.
Thursday 20 June 2019 09:38, UK
China's president is visiting North Korea for two days, saying he hopes to strengthen ties between the two nations.
Xi Jinping, the first Chinese leader to visit the reclusive country in 14 years, arrived on Thursday morning with his wife Peng Liyuan and several Communist Party officials.
Before his departure, Mr Xi wrote an essay published in both countries that praised North Korea for moving in the "right direction".
North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said the visit highlighted ties that "never waver despite any headwinds".
It added that the visit came "in the face of crucial and grave tasks due to complex international relations".
China and North Korea were on the same side in the 1950-53 Korean War against the US and this week's visit finds them once again in conflict with the Americans.
For China the issues are trade and tariffs. For North Korea they are nuclear programmes and sanctions.
It is thought that Mr Xi could voice support for gradual denuclearisation by North Korea in exchange for gradual lifting of sanctions and security assurances from the US.
It was the stand-off over these issues that stalled talks between the US and North Korea earlier this year: neither side would budge until the other did.
But there are signs that China could also find other ways to help North Korea without overtly breaking the sanctions it is also signed up to.
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Leif-Eric Easley, who studies northeast Asian security ties at Ewha Womans University in the South Korean capital of Seoul, said: "More experts may travel from China to support North Korea's technical capacity building, and more Chinese tourist arrivals will help North Korea deal with its shortfall in foreign currency under sanctions."
Among those in the Chinese delegation this week is the head of the state economic planner and any relief would be welcomed by North Korea's economy, which is also struggling with food shortages and drought.
There have been no high-level talks between the US and North Korea since the failed summit in February and North Korea appears to have lost patience - testing a new weapon in April and saying it no longer wants to deal with US secretary of state Mike Pompeo.