Chinese President Xi Jinping departed Beijing by special plane on Monday morning for a state visit to North Korea.
The CCTV news app reported the news on Monday, mentioning that those accompanying him include Xi's wife Peng Liyuan, Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee Cai Qi, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, among others.
A spokesperson for the International Department of the Central Committee announced last Friday that, at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to North Korea from June 8 to 9.
Since becoming China's top leader in 2012, Xi Jinping visited North Korea in 2019. His last meeting with Kim Jong Un was in September last year, when China invited Kim Jong Un and Russian President Putin to attend the 80th anniversary victory parade of World War II held in Beijing.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the two countries have not yet made public the detailed itinerary and locations of Xi's visit. However, given that the visit lasts only two days, it is possible that the leaders of China and North Korea will hold talks on Monday afternoon. It is expected that the two sides will exchange views on the development of China-North Korea relations, economic and trade cooperation, and the situation in Northeast Asia, including the Korean Peninsula. Against the backdrop of intensified strategic competition with the United States, strengthening China-North Korea-Russia cooperation may also be on the agenda.
The report also mentions that Xi might visit the China–North Korea Friendship Tower and have lunch with Kim Jong Un on Tuesday, after which he will return. Xi may also visit the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the remains of former North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are preserved.