China's Premier Visit Strengthens Ties with North Korea Amid Power Shift

China's Premier Li Qiang is set to embark on a significant diplomatic mission, visiting North Korea later this week. This marks the highest-level engagement by a Chinese leader with North Korea since President Xi Jinping's 2019 visit. The announcement was made by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, highlighting Li's role as a key diplomatic figure in the Chinese government.

The visit aims to commemorate the 80th anniversary of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party. It emphasizes China's longstanding alliance with North Korea, despite the latter's recent efforts to strengthen ties with Russia amid global geopolitical tensions. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sought to diversify alliances by dispatching troops to Russia.

This diplomatic occasion will see various international counterparts converging in North Korea, including Russia's Dmitri Medvedev, Vietnam's To Lam, and Laos's president Thongloun Sisoulith. High-level interactions have surged in recent years, signifying a renewed focus on inter-regional alliances in East Asia.

(With inputs from agencies.)