Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping met with North Korea's Premier Pak Thae-song in Beijing on Friday. This significant meeting took place ahead of the 65th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the two nations, as announced by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Premier Pak Thae-song arrived in Beijing earlier in the day for a three-day visit. The visit is at the invitation of China's Communist Party and aims to commemorate the treaty's anniversary. This treaty was originally signed on July 11, 1961, by late North Korean founder Kim Il-sung and then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea's state media, had previously reported on Pak's visit without providing a detailed agenda. Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping held summit talks in Pyongyang, where they committed to strengthening bilateral ties through expanded exchanges across sectors such as the economy and culture, alongside more frequent high-level visits.

In socialist countries like North Korea and China, anniversaries that fall on five- or ten-year intervals are of particular significance and often celebrated with elaborate events. The importance of this anniversary was emphasized by President Xi, leading to expectations of a large-scale event.

The meeting marks the first time in seven years that a North Korean government delegation has been sent to Beijing for the treaty's anniversary, according to South Korea's unification ministry. The ministry has indicated it will "closely monitor" developments related to this visit. Notably, North Korea has elevated the rank of its chief delegate this year, sending its premier, compared to the vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly in 2019.