North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Dandong Saturday, Oct. 24, honoring Chinese forces from the Korean War as officials presented a new bridge as a possible route for more trade and travel.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs identified China’s top political adviser Wang Huning as Kim’s companion during the Dandong stop. It said Wang greeted Kim at the memorial, relayed greetings from President Xi Jinping and saw Kim off at the bridge; the statement did not say Xi and Kim met face to face.
Kim placed a flower basket at a memorial to the Chinese People’s Volunteers, who served in the Korean War, the ministry said. The ministry said he described the tribute as the purpose of the visit. Yonhap reported that China marked the 76th anniversary of the volunteers’ entry into the war on Sunday, Oct. 25, a day after Kim’s stop.
Kim also referred to 2026 as the 65th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the two countries, according to the ministry. He visited a car factory with Wang during the trip, the official account said.
The four-lane Yalu River Bridge connects Dandong with Sinuiju in North Korea. Xinhua reported that it opened to traffic on Oct. 15. The Foreign Ministry said Wang described the crossing as a way to expand travel and trade, with potential benefits for people in both countries.
The Economist, in a report carried by Hindustan Times, suggested the trip may have been intended partly to coordinate diplomacy with Washington. Yonhap said public accounts offered no confirmation that Kim’s meetings covered regional security or renewed U.S. diplomacy. The Economist also compared the visit with Kim’s China trips before two earlier meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump and said the latest stop might ease Beijing’s concerns about Russia’s influence. EconoTimes has previously reported on differing assessments of possible U.S. talks during Kim’s China visit.
Separately, APEC’s official calendar lists an Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen for Nov. 18-19.
