China hails North Korea as 'good neighbor, friend and comrade' ahead of Xi's visit

China is moving to set the tone ahead of Xi Jinping's state visit to North Korea, putting the two countries' friendship front and center. Analysts say Beijing is seeking to reassert the strategic importance of the relationship at a time when Pyongyang has been drawing closer to Moscow.

Wang Yajun, China's ambassador to North Korea, highlighted the significance of Xi's upcoming visit in an op-ed published Saturday in the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party. "The two leaders will hold an important historic summit, chart a blueprint and lay out the direction for opening a new chapter in China-North Korea relations in the new era," Wang said.

KCNA and the International Department of the CPC Central Committee announced Friday that Xi will make a state visit to North Korea from Monday to Tuesday at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. It will be Xi's first state visit to the country in seven years and his first overseas trip this year.

Wang invoked the image of Xi and Kim Jong-un appearing together on the rostrum of Tiananmen in Beijing last September, saying, "Now, a beautiful movement of China-North Korea friendship will resound across Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang."

The ambassador also revived the phrase "good neighbor, good friend, good comrade" — a formulation Xi has used to describe the China-North Korea relationship, sometimes referred to in Chinese as the "three-good" principle.

Wang said the visit would serve as an opportunity to further develop the "three-good" spirit and elevate the bilateral relationship to a new level.

The fact that the piece appeared in the People's Daily is itself noteworthy. Published in the party's official organ, the article is widely read as reflecting the position of China's leadership rather than the personal views of a diplomat.

Analysts say China's active promotion of the bilateral relationship is driven in part by the recent deepening of North Korea-Russia cooperation. By emphasizing economic cooperation, strategic coordination and solidarity among socialist states, Beijing appears intent on reaffirming its traditional ties with Pyongyang.

Chinese state media have been running a steady stream of coverage ahead of the visit. In a commentary published Saturday, Xinhua said "June Pyongyang is full of vitality, and everywhere one feels an eager anticipation for the arrival of the Chinese guest," adding that Xi's state visit "will enable China-North Korea relations to advance with the times and achieve greater development, and will infuse new meaning of the era into the traditional China-North Korea friendship."

The People's Daily also released footage from Xi's 2019 visit to North Korea, showing him touring Pyongyang alongside Kim Jong-un and being greeted by residents.