Senior Chinese envoy in North Korea amid chill in ties
PYONGYANG, Korea, Democratic People’s Republic Of — The highest-level Chinese envoy to North Korea in two years held meetings in the country’s capital to try to improve relations that have soured over Beijing’s tightening of sanctions and expressions of support for President Donald Trump’s calls for more pressure on the North to abandon its nuclear weapons program.
Song Tao’s official mission starting Friday is to brief North Korean officials on the outcome of China’s ruling Communist Party congress held last month. He is visiting as President Xi Jinping’s special envoy, according to Chinese and North Korean state media, but no other details about his itinerary or whether he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have been announced.
After arriving, Song met with Choe Ryong Hae, a vice chairman of the ruling party and one of the most senior leaders after Kim.
During their meeting on Friday, Song briefed Choe on the developments from the Communist Party congress and also gave him an unspecified gift for Kim, Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday. The agency said Song also stressed the Communist Party’s stance to further build on the “traditional friendly relationship” between the countries and their ruling parties.