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Top North Korea official Ri Su Yong in Beijing to boost cooperation

By Elizabeth Shim
Ri Su Yong, Pyongyang’s former foreign minister, is in Beijing to meet with top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party. File Photo by Rodong Sinmun
Ri Su Yong, Pyongyang’s former foreign minister, is in Beijing to meet with top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party. File Photo by Rodong Sinmun

SEOUL, May 31 (UPI) -- North Korea's vice party chairman Ri Su Yong is in China to visit with top officials, and the visit could culminate in a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Ri, who served as Pyongyang's foreign minister until the Seventh Party Congress in early May, arrived in Beijing on Tuesday morning at Beijing Capital International Airport with about 40 North Korean delegates, Yonhap reported.

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It is the first high-level North Korea state visit to China since January, when Pyongyang announced a "successful" hydrogen bomb test.

Ri and his entourage disregarded questions from reporters as they boarded 10 vehicles, including minibuses that were parked outside, ready to transport the North Korean officials to Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

On the first day of the visit, the two governments agreed to boost cooperation, according to the Chinese Communist Party on Tuesday.

Song Tao, minister of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party, said the two sides agreed to promote "regional peace and stability."

Earlier in the day, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she is of the opinion that it is highly likely Ri would meet with the Chinese leader, according to Yonhap.

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Hua also said that North Korea is an "important neighbor" and that China hopes for friendly and cooperative relations develop between the two countries, according to South Korean news service Newsis.

The North Korean officials are expected to stay in China for four days.

China is North Korea's most important economic partner, but relations have deteriorated since Beijing voted to adopt international sanctions against Pyongyang at the United Nations Security Council in March.

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