China’s foreign minister is in Pyongyang, the first visit by a Chinese foreign minister to North Korea in 11 years.<br />This comes after the historic inter-Korean summit last week,... expected to kick-start the process of ending armistice and moving toward permanent peace here on the Korean Peninsula.<br />We have our Oh Junghee on the line with us.<br />Junghee, fill us in.<br /><br /> Good morning, Mark.<br />Pyongyang’s state media reported that North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho sat down with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on Wednesday to discuss the current issues on the Korean Peninsula.<br /> More specifically, they shared how to improve and strengthen Pyongyang-Beijing relations following their leaders’ decision to meet in the near future.<br />On the North Korean side, the minister in charge of the economy accompanied the foreign minister, suggesting that bilateral economic cooperation could have been on the table as well.<br /> This is the first visit to Pyongyang by a Chinese foreign minister in 11 years, raising speculation that China may be concerned about being possibly left out in the discussions to formally end the Korean War with a peace treaty.<br /> Last Friday’s Panmunjom Declaration between the leaders of Seoul and Pyongyang stipulates that ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula could be discussed trilaterally with the U.S. or in four-way talks with the U.S. and China, leaving open the possibility of excluding China.<br />Mark. <br />
