Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleArpan RaiThursday 09 July 2026 17:04 BSTChina military parade: Xi Jinping hosts Putin and Kim Jong UnNorth Korean Premier Pak Thae Song is scheduled to lead a party and government delegation on a two-day visit to China, commencing this Friday.This visit marks the first time in eight years that a North Korean premier has travelled to China, indicating a continued effort to deepen bilateral ties between the two allied nations.The primary purpose of the trip is to participate in celebrations commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between North Korea and China, originally signed in 1961.The visit follows Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent trip to North Korea, his first in seven years, where he and Kim Jong Un underscored the importance of their traditional friendship and resistance against the US.China, which serves as North Korea's main trading partner, has expressed its readiness to expand cooperation across various sectors, including trade, agriculture, construction, and technology, despite international sanctions on North Korea's nuclear weapons programme.In fullNorth Korean premier to attend ‘friendship treaty’ celebrations in China as neighbours deepen tiesMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in