Foreign media highlight trade expansion, solidarity in 'new Cold War'

Visit seen as groundwork ahead of Trump's planned China trip next month

KCNA reported Sunday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited Dandong in China's Liaoning Province on Saturday, ahead of China's Korean War intervention anniversary, reaffirming the two countries' blood alliance and pledging to carry on their friendship. [Yonhap]
KCNA reported Sunday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited Dandong in China's Liaoning Province on Saturday, ahead of China's Korean War intervention anniversary, reaffirming the two countries' blood alliance and pledging to carry on their friendship. [Yonhap]

International media focused on Kim Jong-un's surprise visit to China, highlighting the potential for strengthened North Korea-China ties and possible behind-the-scenes coordination ahead of a North Korea-US summit. Observers noted the trip came before US President Donald Trump's planned visit to China next month, with analysts suggesting Kim sought to lock in Beijing's backing while also eyeing an expansion of bilateral trade.

Reuters described Kim's crossing of the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge into Dandong, Liaoning Province, as "a symbolic move emphasizing trade expansion."

The Financial Times said Kim used the visit to reaffirm the solidity of North Korea-China relations at a time when Pyongyang and Moscow have been drawing rapidly closer, partly due to North Korea's troop deployments to Russia.

Peter Ward, a researcher at the Sejong Institute, told the Financial Times that China would try to pull North Korea back toward its orbit, while Kim would seek to improve ties with Beijing to extract additional benefits.

The Associated Press characterized the visit as an assertive diplomatic move by Kim to align North Korea with China and Russia in building a unified anti-US front amid what he describes as a "new Cold War."

AFP said the reasons for Kim's trip to Dandong were somewhat ambiguous, but stressed that China remains North Korea's largest trading partner and its primary source of diplomatic, political and economic support.

Foreign media particularly noted the timing of the visit, which came ahead of Trump's planned trip to China next month.

Trump is scheduled to travel to China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen on Nov. 18-19. Observers have consistently raised the possibility that Trump could meet Kim on the sidelines of that gathering.

Christopher Green, a senior consultant at the International Crisis Group think tank, told Bloomberg that Kim may have aligned his position with Chinese President Xi Jinping before agreeing to any meeting with Trump.

A former secretary-general also told AFP that Kim may have sought China's active support and cooperation ahead of a potential summit with Trump in Shenzhen.


jeongwan@heraldcorp.com