[뉴스퀘어 2PM] '비핵화' 빠졌다...북중 '핵 연대' 가시화? / YTN

■ Hosts: Anchor Lee Seung-min, Anchor Na Kyung-chul ■ Guest: Bong Young-sik, Visiting Professor at Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content. Please refer to the broadcast for more accurate information. When citing, please specify [YTN News Square 2PM]. [Anchor] Chinese President Xi Jinping visited North Korea for the first time in seven years and held a summit with Chairman Kim Jong-un. In this North Korea-China summit, mentions of "North Korean denuclearization" were omitted, while strategic cooperation was emphasized. We will examine the significance of the North Korea-China summit with Bong Young-sik, Visiting Professor at Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies. Welcome. [Anchor] This is the first visit to North Korea in seven years, and it is the first time this year that President Xi Jinping has chosen North Korea as a foreign destination. How should we interpret this? [Bong Young-sik] First of all, it appears that President Xi Jinping has made the judgment that the time has come to manage North Korea. During the recent U.S.-China summit with President Trump—the first in nine years—President Xi Jinping emphasized that the United States and China must jointly build a constructive and strategic relationship of stability as hegemonic powers. The key point here is the need to establish a stable relationship, noting that not only China but the international community is suffering due to U.S. unilateral policies and that this must stop. Expressing this stance, he appealed for solidarity from nations in the international community. Consequently, the first step was the summit with the United States, followed less than a week later by inviting Russian President Putin to Beijing for a Russia-China summit. After exchanging views on solidarity, he chose North Korea as his next destination. Therefore, viewed in this light, it appears that the purpose of this summit visit to North Korea was to serve as an opportunity to restore the traditional China-North Korea relationship—the final piece of the puzzle regarding how to counter the United States, consolidate allied forces, and promote cooperation—while relations with North Korea had been strained and North Korea had consistently shown a tendency to lean toward Russia. [Anchor] You are currently watching the scene where Chairman Kim and his wife personally greet President Xi Jinping and his wife upon their arrival in Pyongyang. It was quite a long time since First Lady Peng Liyuan made an appearance. [Bong Young-sik] That is correct. Since what North Korea desires is to be recognized by the international community as a normal state, and as I mentioned earlier, relations between China and North Korea reached their worst point during the three years following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, while the border between the two countries was closed and all trade was suspended. Therefore, in 2023, President Xi Jinping sent a special envoy to deliver a personal letter for the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation. He emphasized that the past must not be forgotten. He warned that because this is a blood alliance forged in blood, North Korea must not change its stance toward China just because the situation changes. However, Chairman Kim Jong-un actually ignored this warning at the time. This is because he trusted in Russia's backing. Therefore, China had been patiently waiting for an opportunity to restore the deteriorating North Korea-China relations, and this time, following the conclusion of summits with President Trump and Russian President Putin, it visited North Korea for the first time in seven years since 2019, focusing on restoring ties with the country. [Anchor] You interpreted this as signifying the restoration of North Korea-China relations. Let's take a closer look at the details of the talks. Ultimately, no mention of denuclearization was made during this summit. Instead, the focus was on strengthening strategic cooperation and expanding exchanges between the two countries. Let's listen to the report first. North Korea-China relations and friendly relations are... (omitted) YTN Cho Seong-ho ([email protected]) ▶ Original Article : https://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0101_202606... ▶ Send a Tip : https://mj.ytn.co.kr/mj/mj_write.php ▣ Subscribe to YTN YouTube Channel : http://goo.gl/Ytb5SZ ⓒ YTN Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, and use of AI data are prohibited