COVER STORY Kim Jong-un's China trip reaffirms 'blood ties' as Beijing watches Moscow
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un lays a flower basket at the Memorial Hall of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea in Dandong, China, Saturday. Yonhap
Experts see little evidence of preparations for renewed talks with Washington
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s trip to the Chinese border city of Dandong, made days before the anniversary of Chinese troops entering the 1950-53 Korean War, was aimed at reaffirming the historic blood ties between the two countries at a moment when Pyongyang’s alignment with Moscow has drawn Beijing’s attention, experts said.
North's state-run Rodong Sinmun on Sunday reported Kim's visit to the Memorial Hall of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea in Dandong the previous day. The state media repeatedly emphasized Kim's paying tribute to fallen Chinese troops, remembering their shared history of fighting alongside North Korean forces and preserving ties forged in blood.
Kang Dong-wan, a professor of North Korean studies at Dong-A University, said the focus on China’s role in the war was deliberate, coming after a period in which the Beijing relationship had weakened relative to Pyongyang’s deepening partnership with Moscow, including the North’s troop deployment to Russia.
"Kim's decision to visit the Memorial Hall among other possible destinations appears to intend to highlight the historic blood ties between North Korea and China," Kang said.
Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, read the visit as carrying a message beyond the bilateral relationship.
"North Korea and China reaffirmed their shared history of fighting against the U.S. and their blood-forged alliance," he said, underlining North Korean media's repeated emphasis on their blood ties.
"This could also be a message to Washington not to expect anything that could undermine North Korea-China relations or their shared interests."
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meets Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, during his visit to Dandong, China, Saturday. Yonhap
Who greeted Kim and what it signals
Kim did not meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during the trip. He instead held talks with Wang Huning, China’s fourth-ranking official, who chairs the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and sits on the Standing Committee of the Communist Party’s Political Bureau, along with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Kang said the absence of a Xi meeting was unremarkable given the trip’s purpose.
"As Kim sought to express gratitude to China and reaffirm bilateral friendship, a meeting with Xi was not the main purpose of the visit in the first place," he explained, pointing to scheduling issues.
"Chinese Communist Party's fifth plenum is reportedly scheduled for next week. This could have contributed to the absence of not only Xi but also Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who had originally been reported to welcome Kim," Hong said.
"However, the presence of Wang Yi and other senior officials handling foreign affairs and North Korea-related matters indicated that the visit was not downgraded in terms of diplomatic protocol."
Kim’s day trip drew attention for the route he took — the New Amnok River Bridge, which opened on Oct. 15 after more than a decade of delay. The two countries agreed to build it in 2010, and China completed construction in 2014, but the crossing sat unused for years because the North Korean side lacked connecting roads and customs facilities.
"This demonstrates that Kim can now visit China for strategic consultations within a single day, allowing for more frequent high-level exchanges between the two countries," Hong said.
The route also carries an economic message, signaling Pyongyang's willingness to strengthen trade ties with Beijing.
"By personally endorsing the full operation of the New Amnok River Bridge, Kim demonstrated his commitment to expanding cross-border trade and economic cooperation," said Yang Moo-jin, a distinguished professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump pose for a photo ahead of their summit in Singapore in June 2018 during the latter's first presidential term. Yonhap
N. Korea-US talks unlikely
While some experts say the possibility of talks between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump cannot be ruled out, particularly ahead of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November, others remain skeptical.
With renewed dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang being discussed and given Kim's multiple visits to China during his talks with Trump between 2018 and 2019, it is difficult to rule out a possible link between his latest visit and potential Trump-Kim talks.
"Given Wang Huning's close ties to Xi Jinping, indirect communication between Kim and Xi may have taken place through Wang," said Yang. He also did not rule out the possibility of Wang visiting Pyongyang as Xi's special envoy or Kim being invited to China around the APEC summit.
However, others evaluated the likelihood of a Trump-Kim meeting low.
"It is highly unlikely that Kim discussed a potential meeting with Trump during his visit to China," said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies. "There is little circumstantial evidence suggesting that Kim is acting with a potential U.S.-North Korea summit or his negotiating leverage in mind."
Hong also said there was no clear indication linking Kim's latest visit to the possibility of renewed talks with Washington.