Star Metro - China FM vows deeper ties with North Korea on trip to Pyongyang

The two-day official visit by Wang Yi to the diplomatically isolated nuclear state -- his first since 2019 -- comes shortly after the neighbours resumed transport links that had been halted since the the Covid-19 pandemic.

China is North Korea's top trading partner and a vital source of diplomatic, economic and political support.

During talks with North Korea's foreign minister, Choe Son Hui, Wang hailed the countries' "traditional friendship forged in blood", according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

"China is willing to work with North Korea to... enhance dialogue and practical cooperation at all levels and across various fields, (and) deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges," Wang told Choe, Xinhua reported.

Wang also said that the September meeting in Beijing between top leaders Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un provided "important strategic guidance for the next stage of development" in ties between the countries.

The foreign ministers "also exchanged in-depth views on current international and regional issues", Xinhua said, without elaborating.

Earlier Thursday, photos showed Choe greeting Wang on his arrival at Pyongyang's airport, walking with him on a red carpet before an enthusiastic crowd waving North Korean and Chinese flags.

While China has fully reopened its borders since the pandemic, North Korea has proceeded at a much slower pace.

Recent weeks have seen signs of a tentative reopening, though tourist visas to North Korea are still not being issued.

Prior to the pandemic, Chinese tourists made up the bulk of foreign visitors to North Korea, numbering roughly 350,000 in 2019 and providing a huge revenue stream for Pyongyang, according to specialist website NK News.

Air China restarted direct flights between the two capitals last week, ending a six-year pause initiated by the pandemic.

Last month, daily passenger rail services between Beijing and Pyongyang resumed.

O.Gauthier--SMC