DPRK foreign minister visits China to strengthen DPRK-China relations
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Choe Son Hui, DPRK’s foreign minister, begins a four-day visit to China at the invitation of her counterpart, underscoring strengthening ties between Pyongyang and Beijing, and regional diplomacy.
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Photo showing DPRK Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui leaving to her meeting in China on September 28, 2025. (KCNA)
DPRK Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui has departed Pyongyang for a four-day official visit to China, state media reported on Sunday.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Choe traveled “by plane for her personal use to visit the People’s Republic of China,” accompanied by a diplomatic delegation. She was seen off at the airport by senior ministry officials and Chinese Ambassador Wang Yajun.
The trip comes at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Both countries confirmed that the visit would run from Saturday through Tuesday.
This year marks the 76th anniversary of diplomatic ties between DPRK and China, highlighting a long history of political, economic, and cultural exchanges.
Read more: DPRK’s Kim Jong Un oversees final solid-fuel ICBM engine test
Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping reinforce strategic ties
Earlier in September, DPRK leader Kim Jong Un met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, their sixth meeting since 2018.
During the summit, Kim pledged to gradually expand and strengthen DPRK-China relations, underscoring the strategic importance of their partnership in the shifting regional landscape.
According to state media, Xi said, “No matter how the international situation changes, this position will not change."
Kim's visit to China showed that Pyongyang is gaining increased geopolitical significance as a nuclear power. Prior to the latest meeting, Kim and Xi met five separate times, the difference between those and this latest meeting in September was that this was the first that made no mention of denuclearization.
Lee Byong-chul of the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, in comments made to the New York Times, said that “China will not formally endorse North Korea as a nuclear power, but the latest meeting showed that it was no longer insisting on its denuclearization."
Economic and trade exchanges remain a cornerstone of bilateral cooperation. In 2023, trade between DPRK and China exceeded $2 billion, despite global challenges.
Choe Son Hui’s visit, centered on diplomacy and bilateral coordination, is expected to further deepen ties between the two neighboring countries.
