FM highlights dialogue in intl, regional affairs

Foreign Minister Wang Yi highlighted the need on Friday for China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to further enhance communication and coordination in major international and regional affairs amid the international landscape characterized by intertwined changes and chaos, while firmly safeguarding their sovereignty, security and development interests.

Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting in Pyongyang, the DPRK capital, with Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK.

Both countries should uphold the common interests of developing countries and make contributions to maintaining world peace and development, he said.

The meeting took place on the second day of Wang's two-day visit to the DPRK. He held talks with DPRK Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in Pyongyang on Thursday. The visit came as this year marks the 65th anniversary of the signing of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance.

Wang expressed the country's willingness to work with the DPRK to jointly implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, enhance exchanges and promote pragmatic cooperation in order to inject fresh connotations into traditional friendship in the new era.

Kim said that facing the everchanging and turbulent international situation, consistently deepening and developing DPRK-China relations serves the common interests of both countries, and is also the firm conviction and established policy of the party and government of the DPRK.

He recalled his meeting with Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, in Beijing last year, saying that the DPRK fully supports Xi's vision on the building of a community with a shared future for humanity as well as the four major global initiatives proposed by China.

The DPRK firmly supports China's legitimate stance and every effort in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, including those on the Taiwan question, he said.

Kim added that the DPRK is willing to work with China to continue deepening the friendly and cooperative relationship with socialism at the core, strengthen high-level exchanges, enhance strategic communication, firmly support each other and advance the development of their respective socialist endeavors, thereby contributing to the well-being of the peoples of both countries, as well as to world peace and stability.

On Friday, Wang also paid homage to the martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army at a cemetery in Kangdong county, Pyongyang, showing the deep respect for the heroic CPV martyrs who sacrificed their lives on the soil of the DPRK.

The cemetery is the final resting place for 1,383 CPV martyrs who bravely sacrificed their lives during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53).

In October 1950, the CPV soldiers crossed the Yalu River to fight alongside the DPRK army and civilians to defend peace and justice. After two years and nine months of bloody battles, they secured a resounding victory.

Wang expressed gratitude to the DPRK for its efforts in preserving and maintaining the memorial facilities for the CPV martyrs in the country. He also emphasized the importance of using the site as a base to promote the blood-forged traditional friendship between the two countries.

Wang also highlighted the need to educate future generations of both countries to carry forward the spirit of sacrifice demonstrated by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, providing a strong spiritual impetus for the development of China-DPRK relations.