The Chinese delegation arrived in Pyongyang, received a high-quality reception, and Beijing's phone calls followed.In just over a month, the good news continued, and Kim Jong-un laughed cheerfully.
A high-level Chinese party and government delegation has successfully arrived in Pyongyang. At noon on October 9th, local time, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally met with Chinese representatives, and the two sides had in-depth exchanges in a friendly atmosphere.
China clearly pointed out that maintaining, consolidating and developing China-DPRK relations has always been China's unchanging strategic policy.
Kim Jong-un also expressed his willingness to work with China to promote the further vigorous development of bilateral relations.
Judging from the photos released by KCNA, China and North Korea were still chatting while walking, during which the picture of Kim Jong Un laughing heartily was particularly eye-catching.
These small details have fully illustrated the extent of the friendship between China and the DPRK and the outcome of this meeting.
Not to mention the next day, October 10, China took the initiative to dial Pyongyang on the phone and congratulated the Workers 'Party of Korea on its 80th anniversary. It once again emphasized that developing China-North Korea relations has always been China's unchanging policy.
A top delegation attended the event in person, and the promise made by a telephone call from Beijing showed that China attached importance to it.
In less than a month, the two countries have had two intensive interactions.
From Kim Jong-un’s visit to China in September to the 80th anniversary of the victory, to China’s high-ranking visit to Pyongyang, coupled with the follow-up of communication calls between Beijing and Pyongyang, is this high-frequency, high-quality exchange really just a simple continuation of traditional friendship?
Rather than to say that this is a casual diplomatic hotnet, it is an inevitable choice in the new international environment.
On the evening of October 7, the Korean Ministry of Culture specially held a welcome banquet for the visiting Shanghai Art Troupe of China at the Yangjiao Island Hotel. Deputy Minister of the Korean Ministry of Culture Park Kyung-chol and China Ambassador to the DPRK Wang Yajun attended the event.
This is no ordinary cultural exchange event.
At this time, only two days left from the 80th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Korean Labour Party, the DPRK in the intense commemorative activities organized a welcome banquet specifically for the Chinese arts, this importance is obvious.
The dance drama "The Eternal Wave" brought by the Shanghai Art Troupe has already received high hopes from the DPRK even before it has been performed.
Mr. Park said that such literary and artistic exchanges can "deep up the close friendship of the two peoples", and the ambassador of the army, Wang Aai, also mentioned that it is "a solid bridge that connects the hearts of the two peoples."
Why is cultural exchange so important at this time?
In September, Qi Jinxi visited China to convey Kim Jong-un's promise that high-level Chinese will attend the DPRK meeting in October, while high-level communication, civil emotions also need to warm up simultaneously.
When the artistic resonance on the stage is transformed into emotional identity among the people, the foundation of China-DPRK cooperation will naturally be stronger. This combination of "high-level leadership + folk response" is precisely a vivid footnote of the continuous warming of bilateral relations.
If cultural exchanges are “soft connections”, then pragmatic cooperation between economic and trade and infrastructure is “hard support”.
Many of the intensive talks between Beijing and Pyongyang revolved around concrete cooperation, which has long since jumped out of a single pattern, forming a distinctive feature of “complementary win-win”.
The changes in the flow of the Duck Green River Road Bridge can explain the problem.
Recently, the number of freight vehicles traveling to and from the border between China and North Korea has increased significantly. Among them, trucks loaded with Chinese machinery parts have entered North Korea, and vehicles loaded with agricultural products with North Korean characteristics have entered China.
Danton's cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zone staff mentioned that since the platform opened the North Korean commodity special zone, the order volume of man-made products and specialty textiles has been growing monthly.
This two-way trade pattern is in sharp contrast to the "decoupling and breaking chains" engaged in some countries.
More importantly, this cooperation is extending deep into the industrial chain.
Chinese enterprises not only participate in North Korea's infrastructure construction, but also provide technical support in agricultural product processing, light industry manufacturing and other fields; North Korea responded with resource endowment and market demand, and the "production-processing-sales" cooperation chain formed by the two sides made each other's interests closer and closer.
Just as the China-Malaysia “two-country park” model drives the development of industrial clusters, the pragmatic cooperation between China and the DPRK is also moving in the direction of “long-term efficiency and scale”.
The current situation in Northeast Asia is turbulent, and the intense interaction between China and the DPRK inevitably leaves the strategic considerations behind speculation from the outside world.
In fact, the answer is hidden in the recent statements made by both sides.
During his visit to China, Trudeau expressed Kim Jong-un's position: "No matter how the world changes, China's relations with the DPRK will not shake, and is willing to deepen cooperation with China and jointly resist unilateralism and power politics."
The Chinese representative also stressed that it is necessary to make a greater contribution to promoting peace and stability and development and prosperity in the region and even in the world.
These two paragraphs point to the same core: at a time when unilateralism is on the rise, China and North Korea need to safeguard common security interests through cooperation.
From the Chinese perspective, a stable North Korea is a security barrier in Northeast Asia and can create a good external environment for the development of the Northeast China region; for North Korea, China’s support is an important basis to cope with external sanctions and pressure.
This collaboration based on real interests is far more resilient than mere historical friendship.
Overall, the relationship between China and the DPRK is showing a “three-dimensional escalation” trend.
In terms of communication frequency, a "three-dimensional interaction" has been formed from the top to the people. Within a month, two high-level meetings, visits by art troupes and exchanges of visits by foreign ministers were promoted simultaneously, which is rare in the history of bilateral relations.
In terms of cooperation, we have achieved an expansion from "traditional to emerging". In addition to the traditional economic, trade and cultural fields, the two sides have deepened their cooperation on issues such as supply chain stability and regional security.
In terms of strategic positioning, it has completed the sublimation of "from friendship to coordination", from pure bilateral friendship to strategic cooperation to jointly respond to international changes.
Kim Jong-un's open smile when he met with senior Chinese officials may be the best explanation for this upgrade.
China-Korea relations are consolidating the foundation of pragmatic cooperation, tackling change with strategic cooperation, and building a definite partnership in an uncertain world, which benefits both the people of the two countries and injects valuable positive energy into regional stability.