Senior Chinese diplomat Song Tao is set to visit Pyongyang accompanied by a “large-scale” performing squad, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Wednesday.
The delegation is China’s first to the DPRK since a summit between Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping in late March in Beijing: a meeting with saw the Chinese President accept an invitation to visit Pyongyang.
Song Tao, who serves as head of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and the art troupe will participate in the 31st April Spring Friendship Art Festival (ASFAF).
State media did not specify how long the delegation will be in Pyongyang or how many are visiting.
The festival, which takes place every two years, is slated to be held between April 11 and 17 in Pyongyang on the occasion of the Day of the Sun – a yearly holiday celebrating the anniversary of the birth of North Korea’s founding President Kim Il Sung.
DPRK state media, notably emphasized the importance of the visit, stating it was the first since Kim and Xi had “agreed on strengthening the cultural exchange.”
“The prestigious large-scale art troupe of China will contribute to consolidating the cornerstone of the DPRK-China cultural exchange and strengthening the traditional DPRK-China friendly relations onto a new high stage,” KCNA said in an English-language report.
“The Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea will warmly welcome the artists of the friendly neighboring country and specially greet them with the greatest sincerity.”
The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), carried the report on the front page of Wednesday’s edition.
The April Spring Friendship Art Festival takes place every two years | Photo: DPRK Today
The Chinese delegation is one of many participants from around the world, with KCNA reporting that the Russian State Academic People’s Chorus and the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Mongolian Army had arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday along with artists from Bulgaria, France, Cuba, Cyprus, Spain, and Thailand.
The organizer of a tour to the festival previously told NK News that around 500 performers from around the world would be in attendance.
Song Tao visited the DPRK in November last year as a special envoy of President Xi with the purpose of debriefing North Korean officials on the 19th National Congress of the CPC.
That trip saw Song hold meetings with vice-chairman of the WPK Central Committee Choe Ryong Hae and vice-chairman and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the DPRK Supreme People’s Assembly Ri Su Yong, though he did not meet with the DPRK leader.
Though it is unclear whether Song will this week meet with Kim Jong Un, the two met several times during last month’s surprise visit by the DPRK leader to China.
Song was reported to have greeted Kim at the train station, participated in the DPRK-China summit, and attended the subsequent banquet hosted by Xi, according to KCNA reports.
The Chinese diplomat also visited Pyongyang and met Kim Jong Un in October 2015, as part of a delegation of CPC officials led by Liu Yunshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau.
Kim Jong Un met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last month | Photo: KCNA
Song’s visit is not the first exchange between the high-level Chinese and North Korean officials since last month’s summit took place, however.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi held bilateral talks with his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho on April 3.
Ri reportedly expressed his hope “that the DPRK will maintain close strategic communication with China on relevant issues of the Korean Peninsula,” the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) reported.
One North Korean expert said the visit was a sign that China’s diplomacy on Pyongyang is “getting more active” and suggests it is currently rooted in two primary goals.
“First, it wants to become a central player, since it was somewhat marginalized by the events of the recent three or four months,” Andrei Lankov, director of the Korea Risk Group – which owns and operates NK News – said.
“Second, it is showing the U.S. that China will not necessarily maintain the united front with the U.S. on North Korean issues,” he continued.
“ If the U.S. is not willing to accept some compromise, China can easily restart its assistance to North Korea, thus reducing the impact of the international sanctions regime.”
Edited by Oliver Hotham
Featured Image: Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)
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