The unification ministry said Thursday the planned visit of China's top legislator, Zhao Leji, to North Korea this week may bring about a full-fledged recovery in their bilateral relations following the COVID-19 pandemic. Zhao plans to visit North Korea from Thursday through Saturday to attend celebrative events on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of their establishment of diplomatic ties, according to announcements made by both countries. High-level exchanges between North Korea and China, its longtime ally and largest economic benefactor, have practically ceased since Pyongyang's pandemic-related border lockdown and amid its deepening military cooperation with Moscow. This March 10, 2023, file photo shows Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shaking hands with the country's top legislator, Zhao Leji, in Beijing. (Yonhap) "There is a possibility that North Korea-China relations may progress in earnest on the occasion of the year of friendship," a ministry official told reporters. The official said "vari ous exchanges" are expected to take place, when asked if Zhao's planned trip could be part of preparations for a possible summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Kim and Xi last held two rounds of summits in 2019 -- in Beijing in January and in Pyongyang in June. The official noted the need to see whether Zhao's trip could lay the groundwork for the longtime allies to recover their exchanges in tangible forms, such as the complete reopening of their borders and the resumption of tourism for Chinese civilians. North Korea appears to be stepping up high-level exchanges with Beijing, as much as it has been expanding its relationship with Russia, including military cooperation. In January, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong visited Pyongyang and met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in a move widely seen as a reciprocal trip after the North's Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong-ho visited China in December. Source: Yonhap News Agency
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