North Korea's Kim Song-nam holds talks with China's Liu Haixing... Third high-level meeting in China

The Korean Central News Agency reported on the 7th that the party's international secretary Kim Song-nam, who is on an official visit to China leading the North Korean Workers' Party delegation, met with Liu Haixing, head of the Chinese Communist Party's external liaison department.

The meeting was held the day before at the Diaoyutai State Guest House, a VIP residence in Beijing.

According to the news agency, Secretary Kim introduced the achievements made in party construction and party activities to Director Ryu, who is a 'counter part', and explained that the entire party and the entire people are working hard to achieve the first year's goals of the five-year plan presented at the 9th party congress.

Director Liu said that President Xi Jinping and the Central Committee of the Communist Party "warmly welcome and attach great importance to the Korean Workers' Party delegation visiting China" and that "this visit has important significance in the development of China-North Korea relations."

At the meeting, both parties and countries reaffirmed each other's support for policies promoted in the areas of socialist construction and foreign relations.

In addition, the news agency reported, "We expressed our position to thoroughly implement the spirit of the important agreement reached by the top leaders of the two parties and further deepen cooperation between the party's external business departments for the strengthening and development of bilateral relations, the welfare of the people of the two countries, and regional peace and prosperity."

Following the meeting, a welcome banquet for the Labor Party delegation prepared by Director Ryu was held.

The Korean Central News Agency also reported on the same day that Secretary Kim met with Tsai Chi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Central Political Bureau and Secretary of the Central Secretariat, who is fifth in the Chinese Communist Party's hierarchy of power, at the State Guesthouse the day before.

The meeting between the two figures was first announced the previous day in a report by China's official Xinhua News Agency.

At this event, Secretary Kim emphasized, "The close relationship and strategic guidance of the leaders of the two parties, North Korea and China, are the fundamental cornerstone and driving force of the North Korea-China friendship, and it is our party's firm position to constantly elevate and develop the North Korea-China relationship with socialism as its core."

Secretary Tsai also said, "No matter how the international situation changes, the firm position of the Chinese party and government, which attaches great importance to traditional China-DPRK friendship, will not change; its steadfast support for the cause of Korean socialism led by Comrade General Secretary Kim Jong-un will not change; and its firm determination to safeguard the common interests and excellent strategic environment of both China and North Korea will not change."

The so-called 'three immutable principles' of North Korea-China relations that President Xi mentioned at the summit in June were omitted in a report by China's state-run Xinhua News Agency the previous day.

Secretary Kim visited Beijing with the Workers' Party delegation at the invitation of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the 3rd, and has been staying there for four days until the previous day.

The high-ranking officials of the Chinese Communist Party interviewed during this period included Wang Yi, a member of the Central Political Bureau and Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Secretary Cai, and Director Liu.

At the first meeting with Director Wang on the 5th, the two sides reaffirmed their will to deepen and develop North Korea-China relations.