Beijing and Pyongyang toast their friendly relations
Beijing and Pyongyang toast their friendly relations
BEIJING (AP): China and North Korea toasted their longtime
alliance with parties marking the 36th anniversary of a treaty
between the socialist neighbors, official reports said yesterday.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, China has been North
Korea's principal ally, providing shipments of weapons, food and
fuel to its increasingly impoverished and isolated neighbor.
Chinese Ambassador Wang Yongxiang threw a party in the North
Korean capital, Pyongyang, Friday to mark the anniversary of the
Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, the
North Korean news agency KCNA reported.
Song Pong Hwan, acting charge d'affaires for the North Korean
Embassy in Beijing, hosted a similar banquet Friday attended by
senior Chinese officials, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency
reported.
China places great importance on friendship with North Korea,
Buhe, vice chairman of China's legislature, the National People's
Congress, was quoted as saying.
In an indication that the North commands a less significant
status in Beijing's eyes than in the past, however, the very top
echelon of Chinese leadership did not attend Song's party.
Beijing has in recent years strengthened its economic and
diplomatic ties with rival South Korea, hoping to draw more trade
and investment. However, it has sought to retain its influence
with the North.
China fought on the side of the Communist North during its
1950-1953 war with the capitalist South.
In addition to their longtime treaty, China and North Korea
signed an agreement for military aid in May 1996, the Japanese
news agency Kyodo News Service reported yesterday, citing China
Foreign Policy 1997, a book recently published by the Chinese
Foreign Ministry.
Kyodo cited a brief reference to an agreement signed May 21,
1996, that obliges Beijing to provide economic and military aid
to North Korea. The agreement had not previously been reported.
Their offices closed for the weekend, Foreign Ministry
officials were not available for comment on the report.