Chinese President Xi wants to work with North Korea to fight hegemony

SEOUL — Chinese President Xi Jinping said it is China’s unwavering policy to upgrade ties with North Korea, adding that the two countries will work together to oppose hegemony and efforts to revive militarism, according to comments published Monday in the North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun.

In a commentary, Xi said the two neighboring countries would expand exchanges across all fields to inject stronger momentum into bilateral relations and help safeguard what he described as a fair and just global order.

“We must oppose hegemony, authoritarianism, and all attempts and conspiracies to revive militarism that endanger regional security and stability,” Xi said.

He also pledged cooperation with North Korea in promoting fair and orderly multilateralism and inclusive economic globalization, saying such efforts would contribute to building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Xi is expected to arrive in North Korea on Monday for a two-day visit, his first in seven years, where he will hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as Beijing seeks to strengthen its influence over Pyongyang.

Xi previously hosted Kim and other world leaders at a large military parade in Beijing last year, where he appeared alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since then, North Korea has resumed cross-border movement with China and increased exchanges that had been largely frozen during the COVID-19 pandemic. -Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Edmund Klamann/Reuters