Chinese President Xi Jinping became the first leader of his country to travel to Pyongyang in 14 years. The trip comes as he and Kim Jong Un seek to improve bilateral relations.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/L. Xueren
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Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in North Korea on Thursday to meet with leader Kim Jong Un, as negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington over the North's nuclear program appear to be at a standstill.
China's official Xinhua News Agency confirmed the president's arrival, noting that the trip was set to last two days and that he was accompanied by his wife, Peng Liyuan, along with several Communist Party officials.
The visit is the first by a Chinese president to the reclusive nation in 14 years. Xi and Kim have sought to repair the bilateral relationship between their countries, which had deteriorated over Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions and Beijing's backing of UN sanctions.
As a result, the North Korean leader traveled to China four times in the past year.
'Timely visit'
"North Korea's denuclearization is in the interest of China. Stability on the Korean Peninsula is economically beneficial for Beijing," Wang Sheng, a professor at the Jilin University in Changchun, China, told DW.
"Xi's visit to North Korea is very timely. He can facilitate denuclearization by first meeting Kim and then holding talks with US President Trump and South Korean leader Moon Jae-in at the upcoming G20 summit," Wang said, adding that all parties want to move forward.
A journey along the border of China and North Korea
The Yalu River region at the border of China and North Korea is a traditional tourist attraction, but business lately hasn't been booming. A team of Reuters photojournalists explored the area.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
The bridge to nowhere
A tourist attraction in the Chinese border city of Dandong is the old bridge over the Yalu, which was damaged by US bombs during the Korean War. On the North Korean side the remains were demolished, but on the Chinese side, the bridge was preserved as a memorial. A few meters away is the so-called "Sino-Korean friendship bridge," over which goods are transported between the two countries.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
A symbolic connection
The preserved Chinese section of the Yalu Bridge is open for tourists. In 2015, a new bridge called the "New Yalu Bridge" was completed. The 350-million-dollar project was completely financed by China and completed in only three years. There is only one problem - there is no traffic going over the bridge as the North Korean side ends abruptly in farmland without any connection to roads.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
Ambitious plans and harsh reality
The city of Sinuiju lies on the North Korean bank of the Yalu River with a population of around 400,000. As an important transportation hub, along with the Sino-Korean friendship bridge, Sinuiju has had its own harbor for 100 years. A highway and rail connection to the capital Pyongyang is also being planned, which if completed would significantly facilitate flow of traffic across the border.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
'Touch' a small piece of North Korea
For tourists on the Chinese side, a quick look at everyday life for people in North Korea is especially interesting. For example, this picture taken in March shows the resources used by North Korean farmers near Sinuiju.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
A sneak peek at a reclusive land
This Chinese man earns a few yuan by charging tourists to look at North Korea through his telescopes. The isolated country will then appear to only be a stone's throw away.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
Souvenirs for sale next to barbed wire
For those who want something to remember their trip by, Chinese souvenir hawkers sell their goods with a view of North Korea included for free.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
North Korea is also on the menu
North Korean influence can be found everywhere in the border city of Dandong. The country also runs numerous restaurants for prestige purposes. This is also a source of money for the regime in Pyongyang.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
Icy relations
Relations between North Korea and its most important partner, China, have significantly deteriorated since the North's fourth nuclear test in 2016. Unlike in the past, Beijing supported the increasing of UN sanctions in response to the tests. And in response to recent North Korean missile tests, China stopped coal imports from the country in February.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
A sputtering economic engine
China and North Korea are very intent on significantly expanding economic relations in the border region, but the Reuters team found little evidence of this currently happening. These luxury apartments in Dandong may be finished - but they are accompanied by numerous half-completed buildings and construction sites. And the planned special economic zone has also yet to open.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
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An 'irreplaceable friendship'
In a rare opinion piece published in North Korea's official newspaper on Wednesday, Xi praised the "irreplaceable" friendship between Beijing and Pyongyang.
He also vowed that China would play an active role in "strengthening communication and coordination with North Korea and other relevant parties," in a subtle nod to the current nuclear talks between North Korea and the US.
Furthermore, Xi stressed that North Korea was moving in the "right direction" by resolving issues on the peninsula politically.
The Rodong Sinmun newspaper, a publication of the North Korean ruling party, said the trip would "engrave a new, enduring page in the history of DPRK-China friendship," referring to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the country's official name.
"The visit to our country that comes despite the emergence of urgent and important tasks due to complex international relations clearly shows that the Chinese party and government are putting high importance on the DPRK-China friendship," the editorial read.