North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent thousands of troops and conventional weapons to support President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, possibly in exchange for military and economic assistance. The brief places that support in the years when Pyongyang prioritised ties with Russia, before Kim moved to strengthen relations with China, the North’s traditional main ally and economic lifeline.
On Saturday he visited China for the first time in a year. He arrived in the border city of Dandong after crossing the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge, according to South Korea’s Unification Ministry and China’s Xinhua News Agency, and he inaugurated the link while saying he hoped to expand cooperation with China.
Kim met Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of China’s Communist Party. They toured a car factory and promised to strengthen the bilateral relationship. Xinhua reported that Kim said his country was ready to work with China to carry forward their historical friendship, expand practical cooperation and bring tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries. Wang then accompanied him to the bridge to see him off.
Experts said the opening of the New Yalu River Bridge this month symbolised closer ties and an intent to expand trade. The bridge is expected to carry two-way traffic around the clock, including container shipments and heavy cargo trucks.
The visit was Kim’s sixth since he took power in late 2011, and it was timed ahead of the 25 October anniversary of China’s first major victory in the Korean War. North Korean state media did not immediately report the trip, and China’s Foreign Ministry press office did not respond to a request for confirmation. Japan’s Kyodo News, citing unnamed diplomatic sources, said authorities imposed strict traffic limits in parts of Dandong and that hotel rooms in those areas could not be reserved. Japan’s TBS aired footage it described as likely showing Kim’s motorcade, including a black limousine bearing North Korean flags.