N. Korean leader's 1st public reference to 'one-China' principle points to closer bilateral ties: Seoul

▲ North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un (R) meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Pyongyang on April 10, 2026, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

N Korea-China

N. Korean leader's 1st public reference to 'one-China' principle points to closer bilateral ties: Seoul

SEOUL, April 14 (Yonhap) -- North Korean state media have recently reported on leader Kim Jong-un's reference to the "one-China" principle for the first time in a sign that Pyongyang and Beijing are closely aligning, South Korea's unification ministry said Tuesday.

In a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday, the North's leader said his country would "fully support" China's policies aimed at realizing its territorial integrity on the basis of the "one-China principle," the Korean Central News Agency said Saturday. Kim appears to be referring to China's territorial claim to Taiwan.

"North Korea and China appear to be drawing far closer to each other. Kim's mentioning of the 'one-China' (principle) is a case in point," an official at the unification ministry said in regard to his assessment of Wang's visit to Pyongyang from April 9-10.

The official said North Korea treated Wang with special courtesy, indicating that the two nations have been strengthening cooperation and communication.

Since Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping held summit talks in Beijing last September, the two nations appear to be seeking to deepen their traditional ties, which were seen strained amid North Korea's military and diplomatic alignment with Russia.

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