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Kim Su-gil (left), director of the General Political Bureau of the North Korean People’s Army, and Miao Hua, director of the political affairs department of China’s Central Military Commission, meet in Beijing on Aug. 17. (Chinese Ministry of National Defense of the People‘s Republic of China website)
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Two countries’ military leaders meet in Beijing
Military leaders from North Korea and China highlighted their cooperation in a recent meeting in Beijing that came amid North Korea’s repeated criticism of South Korea-US joint military exercises and Pyongyang’s test launches of new weapon systems. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, and Kim Su-gil, director of the General Political Bureau of the North Korean People’s Army, emphasized the two countries’ friendly relations in a meeting on the afternoon of Aug. 17, China’s Ministry of National Defense reported on Sunday. Zhang reportedly told Kim that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s four visits to China and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s historic state visit to North Korea had opened up new possibilities for friendship between China and North Korea and led to a series of major agreements about developing the two countries’ traditional relationship of amity and cooperation. “The Chinese military will work with the North Koreans to implement the important agreements reached by our two leaders so as to promote cooperation and strengthen communication on the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations,” Zhang said. Kim Su-gil replied that “continuing amity between North Korea and China is the unshakeable position of the North Korean party, government, and army.” On Aug. 16, Kim also met with Miao Hua, director of the political affairs department of China’s Central Military Commission. Kim had visited Beijing as the leader of a North Korean military delegation. During his meeting with Miao, Kim placed an emphasis on the “commitment to continue expanding the amicable and cooperative relationship between the militaries of our two countries and upgrading them to the next level according to the noble intentions of our two supreme leaders.” Kim and Miao are key figures in the two countries’ militaries, and they were present at the summit between Kim Jong-un and Xi Jinping in Pyongyang on June 20. During their meeting, Kim Su-gil and Miao Hua presumably discussed ways to implement the military cooperation measures previously discussed during the two leaders’ summit. By Park Min-hee, staff reporter Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
