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| Xi Jinping, China’s President, Unexpectedly Meets With North Korean Envoy | Xi Jinping, China’s President, Unexpectedly Meets With North Korean Envoy |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| BEIJING — China’s president, Xi Jinping, met with a senior envoy from North Korea here on Wednesday, in what appeared to be a slight thaw in a bilateral relationship that has been strained by Beijing’s concerns about the North’s nuclear weapons program. | BEIJING — China’s president, Xi Jinping, met with a senior envoy from North Korea here on Wednesday, in what appeared to be a slight thaw in a bilateral relationship that has been strained by Beijing’s concerns about the North’s nuclear weapons program. |
| Mr. Xi greeted the envoy, Ri Su-yong, the day after North Korea tried unsuccessfully to fire an intermediate-range ballistic missile. Their encounter also followed the news that Mr. Ri had brought to China a stern message insisting that the North would not stop trying developing nuclear arms. | Mr. Xi greeted the envoy, Ri Su-yong, the day after North Korea tried unsuccessfully to fire an intermediate-range ballistic missile. Their encounter also followed the news that Mr. Ri had brought to China a stern message insisting that the North would not stop trying developing nuclear arms. |
| Mr. Ri, a former foreign minister and a confidant of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, told Chinese Communist Party officials on Tuesday that his country would continue to expand its nuclear arsenal and had no intention of giving up the weapons, the state-run Central News Agency in North Korea reported. | |
| In the meeting with Mr. Ri, Mr. Xi seemed to strike a positive tone, telling him that China “attached great importance to developing a friendly relationship with North Korea” and was seeking “calm” on the Korean Peninsula, China’s state-owned news agency, Xinhua, said Wednesday evening. | In the meeting with Mr. Ri, Mr. Xi seemed to strike a positive tone, telling him that China “attached great importance to developing a friendly relationship with North Korea” and was seeking “calm” on the Korean Peninsula, China’s state-owned news agency, Xinhua, said Wednesday evening. |
| Mr. Xi, according to the Xinhua report, did not mention the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, a phrase often used by China to stress that it would like North Korea, along with South Korea, to be free of nuclear weapons. | Mr. Xi, according to the Xinhua report, did not mention the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, a phrase often used by China to stress that it would like North Korea, along with South Korea, to be free of nuclear weapons. |
| The surprise meeting is believed to have been the first encounter between Mr. Xi and a senior North Korean official since 2013, when he met with Choe Ryong-hae, who was then a special envoy of the Workers’ Party in the North. As president of China, Mr. Xi also serves as general secretary of the Communist Party. Mr. Choe was subsequently among the many foreign guests at China’s major military parade last September. | The surprise meeting is believed to have been the first encounter between Mr. Xi and a senior North Korean official since 2013, when he met with Choe Ryong-hae, who was then a special envoy of the Workers’ Party in the North. As president of China, Mr. Xi also serves as general secretary of the Communist Party. Mr. Choe was subsequently among the many foreign guests at China’s major military parade last September. |
| Mr. Ri, who was recently elevated to North Korea’s Politburo, came to Beijing to report on the outcome of the ruling Workers’ Party congress in early May, Chinese analysts said. | Mr. Ri, who was recently elevated to North Korea’s Politburo, came to Beijing to report on the outcome of the ruling Workers’ Party congress in early May, Chinese analysts said. |
| But he apparently also came to try to mend the frayed strategic ties between the two countries. The Xinhua report said that Mr. Ri gave Mr. Xi a “verbal message” from Mr. Kim that stressed his desire to “strengthen and develop the traditional friendly relationship.” | But he apparently also came to try to mend the frayed strategic ties between the two countries. The Xinhua report said that Mr. Ri gave Mr. Xi a “verbal message” from Mr. Kim that stressed his desire to “strengthen and develop the traditional friendly relationship.” |
| At the Workers’ Party congress, Mr. Kim said the North’s nuclear arsenal would create “peace and stability” on the Korean Peninsula, while Mr. Xi has mentioned his desire for the peninsula to be rid of nuclear weapons on several occasions. | At the Workers’ Party congress, Mr. Kim said the North’s nuclear arsenal would create “peace and stability” on the Korean Peninsula, while Mr. Xi has mentioned his desire for the peninsula to be rid of nuclear weapons on several occasions. |
| “We will stay firm on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” he said at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia in Beijing in April. | “We will stay firm on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” he said at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia in Beijing in April. |
| North Korea faces tough economic conditions under sanctions imposed by the United Nations, and Mr. Ri’s visit was also probably aimed at trying to soften China’s enforcement of the measures, analysts said. China is the biggest benefactor of the North’s rudimentary economy. | North Korea faces tough economic conditions under sanctions imposed by the United Nations, and Mr. Ri’s visit was also probably aimed at trying to soften China’s enforcement of the measures, analysts said. China is the biggest benefactor of the North’s rudimentary economy. |
| The sudden meeting on Wednesday came ahead of a visit to Beijing by Secretary of State John Kerry next week for the annual Strategic and Economic Dialogue between the United States and China. The Obama administration considers China’s enforcement of United Nations sanctions on North Korea, imposed as punishment for its nuclear program, vital to their success. | |
| The United States has praised China for agreeing to the sanctions. It has also pointed to cooperation over North Korea as one of the areas where the two countries can work together, even as relations grow more fraught. | The United States has praised China for agreeing to the sanctions. It has also pointed to cooperation over North Korea as one of the areas where the two countries can work together, even as relations grow more fraught. |