Captured Chinese Fishermen Return Home, Investigation Begins

Sok Islet, Kwail County, South Hwanghae Province. According to Chinese media, the 28 or 29 fishermen detained in the DPRK from 8 to 21 May 2012 were held here (Photo: Google image)

On the morning of 21 May (Monday) three Chinese commercial fishing trawlers and their 29 crew members, captured and detained by DPRK forces on 8 May, arrived in their home country through the port in Dalian.  With the fishermen’s return, accounts about their detention have emerged in Chinese media.  Global Times reports:

“Before they released us, they brought us ashore and gave each of us a pack of cigarettes. Then they pointed their guns at our heads, forcing us to write a confession saying that we entered North Korean waters illegally and they had treated us very well,” Yuan Xiwen, one of the fishermen, told the Global Times.

Zhu Chuang, one of the captains of the three boats, said the abductors only gave each boat half a bag of rice before ordering them to leave.

“They took everything onboard, including communication devices and our clothes, leaving some of us only with underwear. Fortunately, we could still use the Beidou for guidance,” Zhu told the Global Times, referring to China’s indigenous satellite navigation system, a rival to the GPS.

The three boats arrived in Dalian at around 6:35 am Monday after being released Sunday night. The fishermen were then sent to a local hospital for medical checks.

The fishermen told the Global Times that the three boats were seized one after another by a North Korean gunboat on May 8 while working in the Yellow Sea.

“The gunboat approached us, and six or seven armed North Koreans boarded our ship. They locked us up in a small cabinet we use for storing waste. One of the captors served as a translator, but I do not think he was of Chinese origin,” Zhu recalled.

The fishermen told Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV that the abductors had treated them “inhumanely,” and had beaten them with wooden sticks. One of the boat owners said no ransom had been paid.

“They did not allow us to talk, and would beat our spine and head if we made any sound. We had one, sometimes two meals a day, of only rice and porridge,” said Wang Zhiguo, one of the crew members.

“We could not properly sit down or stand in the tiny cabin,” Wang told the Global Times.

According to People’s Daily, three of the fishermen felt dizzy after their return, and another three had obvious bruises on their bodies.

Returned Chinese fishermen take the vehicle to go to hospital for medical check in Dalian, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, May 21, 2012. A total of 29 Chinese fishermen and their three fishing boats returned to Dalian on Monday morning, following 13 days of detention by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). (Xinhua/Liu Debin)

The Chinese government announced that relevant authorities had begun an investigation into the seizure of the fishing trawlers and crew.  South China Morning Post reports:

In announcing the investigation, ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the government was taking the incident seriously.

Some of the 28 fishermen aboard three boats taken on May 8 said armed North Koreans, dressed in army uniforms, had falsified the co-ordinates of their ship during the capture, to indicate that it took place in North Korean waters rather than Chinese waters.

The Chinese boat captains also said they were forced to admit that they entered North Korean waters unlawfully.

Wang Lijie, captain of one of the three vessels that were held for nearly two weeks before being released last weekend, told China Central Television (CCTV) yesterday that North Korean authorities forced him to sign a blank document.

He said it was not until soon before their release that he was told it was a letter confessing they had entered the waters illegally.

The letter was written in Korean, but Wang said he saw the North Koreans had changed the co- ordinates of the capture from 123-57E to 124-02E, less than a degree to the east and just inside North Korean waters.

Although China and North Korea have not established an official boundary in the East China Sea, maritime authorities of the two countries have mutually regarded longitude 124 degrees east as an “internal control line”, according to the captured fishermen.

The captains of the other two ships said they were also presented with similar documents. One of them, Zhu Chuang , said he resisted, believing that data stored in his ship’s satellite navigation system would prove they were in Chinese waters.

“They tried to force me to sign, but I never did,” he told CCTV.

Almost every Chinese fishing vessel at sea is equipped with navigation devices receiving satellite signals. The system, developed by the People’s Liberation Army, allows captains to know their whereabouts with a very low margin of error.

Three Chinese fishing boats, which had been freed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), anchor at a port of Dalian, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, May 21, 2012. A total of 29 Chinese fishermen and their three fishing boats returned to Dalian on Monday morning, following 13 days of detention by the DPRK. (Xinhua/Liu Debin)

While the fishermen’s detention has not put a damper on official DPRK-China relations, the fishermen and Chinese netizens view the ordeal as something of an abscess in the “lips and teeth” relationship.  Washington Post reports:

“This is the most horrible memory in my life,” Wang said. “They all wore deep-blue military uniforms, and they had a military flag on their boat. They were the North Korean navy.”

Wang said that he had encountered North Koreans in the past who were friendly but that this time, “they were even worse than bandits.” Noting that Pyongyang “is supposed to be a friend of China’s,” he added: “What happened to me this time changed my idea of North Korea completely.”

The fishermen’s accounts of mistreatment have also appeared widely in Chinese news media, which describe it as “torture.”

Shan Shixian, the owner of one of the boats, said in an interview that the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of about $65,000 per boat but later just stripped the vessels and the men of everything they had. “They stole about one ton of fish on my boat, a dozen tons of diesel, my boat’s radar, the components, the battery and all the cargo,” Shan said. “Everything on the boat was looted.”

“I hate North Korea so much,” he said. “They not only robbed my fishermen, they tortured them. I’d kill them if I ever met any of them.” He added: “They are more like hooligans than the real hooligans. People are all scared.”

The sentiments of the captain and the boat owner were echoed even more vociferously on the Twitter-like microblogging site Weibo, which has emerged as China’s sounding board for public opinion. And public opinion has turned decidedly against North Korea, an ally considered so steadfast that Mao Zedong once said the relationship was “as close as lips and teeth.”

Some of the vitriol was aimed at the Chinese government.

“The anger burned in my heart when I saw this piece of news,” wrote one Internet user, posting under the name The Far Off Time. “North Korea always returns evil for good, and the Chinese government always swallows the humiliation and the anger.” The user added: “It’s all because the Chinese government is too weak. Who would dare do this to American fishermen?! Does the Foreign Affairs Ministry have any use?”

Another user, writing under the name Unplugged Cat, wrote: “We raised a dog to watch the door, but were bitten by the crazy dog!”

A user named Zhuang Yuance asked, “Why should we shelter this bad neighbor against the will of people in most countries in the world? Will the North Korean people really appreciate us one day?”

The kidnapping was one of the hottest trending topics on China’s microblogging sites. That the Chinese government’s normally vigilant censors had allowed the open debate suggested that even Beijing’s leaders were becoming exasperated with Pyongyang.

China’s official media, meanwhile, have tried to play down the controversy, noting that all the crew members were eventually released and that no ransom was paid. An article in the Communist Party-owned Global Times newspaper Wednesday carried the headline: “Hype unnecessary over N. Korean sea action.”

Overview of area showing where the Chinese commercial fishing trawlers and crew were captured on 8 May 2012 and Sok Islet where the trawlers and crew were held. The yellow line estimates the unofficial DPRK-China maritime boundary (Photo: Google image)

PRC Embassy Managing Contact on Captured Fishermen

The Chinese fishing trawler Liaodanyu 23979, one of the vessels seized by DPRK operatives on 8 May 2012 (Photo: We54.com)

Chinese state media reported on Friday (18 May) that the PRC Embassy in Pyongyang has taken the lead on discussions with DPRK officials over releasing 29 fishermen who were seized and detained on 8 May.  According to an unconfirmed report, some of the fishermen have already been released and returned to China, although neither their family members nor the owner of the commercial fishing trawlers have heard from the supposed returnees.  AFP reports:

“Some of the detained vessels and crew have already returned to port,” the state-controlled Xinhua news agency said late Friday, without elaborating.

The foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment, and one of the owners of the boats that had been seized said he also had no information.

“I also saw the news online, but we haven’t met any of the fishermen,” the owner, Zhang Dechang, told AFP by telephone from the northeastern province of Liaoning, near China’s border with North Korea.

“I called some of their relatives, and they didn’t know either what the situation is. We still have to wait.”

Chinese state media previously reported that the men were fishing off the country’s northeast coast, in the waters between China and North Korea, when they were snatched.

The Xinhua report said Chinese embassy staff in the North Korean capital Pyongyang were negotiating the release of the rest of the fishermen.

The fishermen remaining in North Korean hands were “safe and sound” and had enough to eat and access to medical help, according to Xinhua.

Chinese fishermen regularly run into difficulties with the authorities of other countries as they fish in areas that are claimed by both China and its neighbours.

However, so far there has been no indication that the North Korean gunmen who seized the sailors were security forces from the isolated country — which counts China as its sole major ally.

Xinhua English reported:

Counsellor Jiang Yaxian told Xinhua that Ambassador Liu Hongcai and other Chinese diplomats have been working actively on the detention of the Chinese fishermen along with their vessels “through negotiation and close contact”, to fully ensure the Chinese crew’s personal safety and their legitimate rights and interests.

According to the DPRK side, the detained Chinese fishing crew are now in “sound health condition with sufficient food and healthcare”, and that “part of the detained vessels and crew have already been back to China.”

Jiang said that the Chinese Embassy in the DPRK will continue its efforts to ensure that the issue will be properly addressed as soon as possible.

On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said that China has been staying in close communication with the DPRK through relevant channels to push for a proper resolution to the issue at an early date.

China demands the DPRK ensure the safety and legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese fishermen, he said at a daily news briefing.

It was reported that three Chinese fishing boats and their crews were held in custody by the DPRK on May 8.

Initial reports claimed that the fishermen were captured by a group of DPRK and Chinese nationals.  However, those reports may have misidentified operatives of a maritime unit under the Reconnaissance General Bureau who would be thoroughly trained in language and nonverbal behavior that made them seem (and sound) Chinese.  Daily NK interviewed a former trainer in the Reconnaissance Bureau:

The captain of Liaodanyu No. 23527, which was fishing alongside the boats that were seized, testified that the North Korean vessel which took the Liaodanyu No. 23528 was a fast moving military speedboat, and that there were four to five people on board wearing blue uniforms and hats.

On this, Choi said, “Secretly entering international waters or those of another country for a brief spell and capturing a boat is the kind of special mission intrinsic to the maritime bases of the Special Bureau of Reconnaissance.”

“General Bureau maritime bases which conduct infiltration missions against South Korea exist both in the East and West Sea, and the West Sea base is at Nampo,” he went on. “The base has around ten combat speedboats disguised as mid-size fishing vessels, and they perform operations like seizing fishing boats and maritime infiltrations.”

A normal fishing vessel is equipped with a single engine; however, Choi said that the high-speed vessels of the type at the base have four Russian made M-400 engines. The average speed of the vessels is 45 knots, though they are able to reach 50 knots.

A person present at the time of the attack has testified that the group of captors included Chinese people; however, Choi believes that this probably means the operation was actually carried out by operatives from the General Bureau who are able to speak excellent Chinese. According to Choi, “The General Bureau’s West Sea unit taught staff Chinese to prepare for situations including fleeing into Chinese waters in the course of operations.” Operatives stationed at East Sea Base No.1 are required to speak excellent Japanese.

Therefore, Choi concludes that it is actually unlikely that reports of direct Chinese involvement in the operation are correct.

Similarly, Choi believes it is highly unlikely that the General Bureau of Reconnaissance suddenly decided upon the capture of Chinese trawlers as a way to earn money. He said, “They knew very well that capturing a Chinese trawler without the approval of the authorities would create a diplomatic problem, so I don’t believe they did it independently. While conniving with the authorities to demand monies, they are intending to express discontent at something.”

 

DPRK, China In Contact Over Captured Fishing Vessels

A view of the approximate location that 3 Chinese commercial fishing vessels and 29 crew members were captured on 8 May 2012 (Photo: Google image)

PRC state media reports that the Chinese government “is in close contact” with the DPRK on the status of 29 fishermen seized earlier this month in the Yellow (West) Sea.  On 8 May, three fishing vessels and 29 crew members were captured 158 km (98 miles) southwest of the DPRK city of Namp’o.  It is not clear if the crew were captured by members of the Korean People’s Army’s [KPA] Navy, DPRK personnel operating commercial vessels or, as Global Times reports, a group of Chinese and DPRK nationals.  Xinhua English reports:

“China is maintaining close communication with the DPRK side through relative channels in order to appropriately address the issue as soon as possible,” Hong said during a daily news briefing.

“The Chinese side has demanded that the DPRK side ensure the safety and legitimate rights of the Chinese crew members,” he added.

Media reports have stated that three vessels and their crews were seized by the DPRK on May 8.

 CRI English reports:

A number of media outlets recently reported that three Chinese fishing vessels were seized on May 8 at 38.05 degrees north and 123.57 degrees east within Chinese waters and the 29 crew members onboard were being kept hostage by a group of North Koreans.

The reports also state that the North Korean captors asked the abducted Chinese fishermen to call their families and tell them to pay ransom amounts in order for them to be released.

According to media reports, one fisherman who narrowly escaped being abducted, reported the incident to local maritime police in the city of Dalian, Dandong, and the fishing patrol forces in the provincial capital of Shenyang, immediately following his escape.

On the morning of last Wednesday, an abducted crew member apparently made a phone call using an unidentifiable number, claiming that the captors were requesting ransom amounts in return for the release of the Chinese fishermen.

The BBC reports:

The captors have asked for payment by Thursday for the release of the men and boats, the newspaper reported.

China’s foreign ministry said it was in touch with North Korean authorities and hoped to resolve the situation soon.

“We urged the North Korean side to guarantee the legal rights of the Chinese fishermen,” the ministry’s spokesman Hong Lei said.

He refused to confirm if the payment being demanded was a ransom, said an Associated Press report.

It is not clear if the boats were seized by North Korean authorities or kidnappers as some reports have suggested.

Pyongyang has not commented on the incident.

The owners of the boats have been reported as saying that the men were fishing in Chinese waters when the incident took place.

One of the owners, Zhang Dechang, told the Beijing News that the captors initially demanded payment of 1.2 million yuan (£119,300, $189,800) for the return of the men and boats, now reportedly in North Korea.

The captors then reportedly reduced their demand to 900,000 yuan.

Mr Zhang said that the captors included both North Koreans and Chinese, according to a Global Times report.

”They had guns; no one resisted. The captured fishermen have been locked in a small house, with no food to eat,” he was quoted as saying in the report.

China is North Korea’s closest ally. But the waters of the Yellow Sea, home to rich marine life, have seen clashes in the past between vessels from China and the two Koreas.

Choe Yong Rim Visits Iron and Steel Complex, Attends Trade Fair

DPRK Premier Choe Yong Rim (4th R) visits the Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex in Songrim, North Hwanghae Province, on 15 May 2012 (Photo: KCNA)

DPRK state media reported on Wednesday (16 May) that DPRK Cabinet Premier Choe Yong Rim inspected the Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex on Tuesday (15 May).  KCNA reports:

The workers of the complex are making achievements in updating it and producing heavy-duty rails true to the behests of leader Kim Jong Il.

Going round gas generation and high temperature air combustion heating process and various other places, the premier learned in detail about the progress made in updating the complex and held a consultative meeting.

The meeting discussed the issues of implementing the WPK’s policy on modernizing railways and replacing the existing rails with heavy-duty ones, pushing forward the updating of the complex and keeping rail production going at a high rate. It took measures to ensure that relevant units satisfactorily ensure the supply of raw and other materials needed for production.

The premier got familiar with the management and operation of the hostel and supply service.

Stressing the need for the officials to provide the workers with convenience on a priority basis and take good care of their living, by learning from the dear respected Kim Jong Un’s noble outlook on the people. He took measures to complete the construction of dwelling houses as early as possible.

DPRK Premier Choe Yong Rim (3rd L) talks to a vendor at the 15th Pyongyang Spring International Trade Fair, during a 15 May 2012 tour (Photo: KCNA)

Later in the day, Choe visited the the 15th Spring International Trade Fair being held at the Three Revolutions’ Exhibition in Pyongyang.

The premier also visited the 15th Pyongyang Spring International Trade Fair on the same day. He underlined the need to positively develop the bilateral and multilateral cooperation among countries and regions in the economic and trade fields.

View of opening ceremony of the 15th Pyongyang Spring International Trade Fair. The ceremony was held on 14 May (Monday) (Photo: KCNA)

DPRK Vice Premier and KWP Political Bureau Member, Kang Sok Ju (2nd L) is briefed on products displayed at the spring trade fair on 14 May (Photo: KCNA)

Pyongyang’s 15th Spring International Trade Fair, scheduled from 14 thru 17 May, displays the products of companies from 14 different countries.  On Monday (14 May) the trade fair had its opening ceremony.  KCNA reports:

Present at the opening ceremony were Kang Sok Ju, vice-premier of the DPRK, Ri Ryong Nam, minister of Foreign Trade, and others, delegations of different countries and regions and diplomatic envoys of various countries and staff members of foreign embassies here.

A congratulatory speech by O Ryong Chol, vice-minister of Foreign Trade, followed an inaugural speech made by Kim Mun Jong, president of the Korean International Exhibition Corporation.

Speakers welcomed delegations of different countries and regions participating in the fair.

They said that the fair is a prestigious international economic gathering which reflects the desire and wish of mankind to establish a new international economic order based on independence and achieve the common prosperity and development.

He hoped that they would make good achievements through broad contacts and positive trade dealings.

They declared the DPRK would in the future, too, further expand and develop bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the fields of economy and trade with all countries and regions on the principle of equality and mutual benefit.

At the end of the ceremony, the participants looked round products from companies of the DPRK, Netherlands, Germany, Bulgaria, Switzerland, the UK, Austria, Italy, Finland, Poland, Australia, Malaysia, Mongolia, China and Taipei of China.

The fair will last till May 17.

People’s Security Delegation Visits China

A delegation of the Ministry of People’s Security [MPS] visited China from 26 April to 1 May (Tuesday).  The delegation was led by Major General Ri Song Chol (Ri So’ng-ch’o'l), MPS councilor and director of the MPS Foreign Affairs Bureau.  The primary reason for Ri’s visit was not clear and may have been arranged when Korean Workers’ Party [KWP] International Secretary Kim Yong Il visited Beijing late last month for a DPRK-PRC strategic dialogue.

On 27 April (Friday), Maj. Gen. Ri met with Chinese Vice Minister of Public Security Meng Hongwei.  The two were last reported to have met in June 2011.  According to Renmin Gongan Bao, Meng told Ri, “Since February 2011 when State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu visited the DPRK, China and the DPRK have further developed their cooperation in law enforcement and security thanks to the concerted efforts of both sides. It is hoped that the two sides would further implement the consensus on cooperation reached between the responsible officials of the law-enforcement departments of the two countries, continue strengthening high-level exchanges and work cooperation, and lead the friendly cooperation between the two sides to a pragmatic, mutual-beneficial, and win-win development.”  Ri was described as “totally” agreeing with Meng’s remarks.

Ri’s visit to Beijing occurred on the same day two members of the Border Security Command were repatriated back to the DPRK, after escaping to China.  Daily NK reported that after an alleged bureaucratic migration, two BSC service members shot and killed several members of their unit near Hyesan, Yanggang Province.  The two guards escaped into China and were apprehended on 27 April.

Kim Jong Suk Wax Statue Unveiled

A wax figure of Kim Jong Suk, which was unveiled at a ceremony on 24 April 2012 (Photo: KCNA)

SPA Presidium Vice President Yang Hyong Sop, KWP Secretary Kim Ki Nam and KWP Secretary Choe Tae Bok, cut a ceremonial ribbon during a dedication ceremony (Photo: KCNA)

DPRK state media reported that a wax figure of Kim Jong Suk (Kim Cho’ng-suk), mother of Kim Jong Il and Kim Kyong Hui, was unveiled along with an exhibition on her on Tuesday (24 April) at the International Friendship Exhibition, which is located near Mt. Myohyang in North P’yo’ngan Province.  The unveiling ceremony was attended by members of the DPRK central leadership including Korean Workers’ Party [KWP] Secretaries Choe Tae Bok and Kim Ki Nam, Supreme People’s Assembly [SPA] Presidium Vice President Yang Hyong Sop and Gen. Pak Jae Gyong.

KCNA reports:

A hall where stands a wax replica of anti-Japanese war hero Kim Jong Suk was opened at the International Friendship Exhibition House of the DPRK.

Standing in the hall is a wax replica depicting woman commander of anti-Japanese guerillas Kim Jong Suk in uniform of the anti-Japanese guerrilla army on the table land full of azaleas in full bloom against the background of Mt. Paektu.

The gifts she received from personages and people of various countries are on display there.

An opening ceremony took place on Tuesday.

Present there were Kim Ki Nam and Choe Thae Bok, members of the Political Bureau and secretaries of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, and others.

Present there on invitation were staff members of the Chinese embassy here and the chief of the hall of wax replicas of great persons in China and his party.

Choe Thae Bok expressed deep thanks to personages of the Chinese hall for representing the wax replica of Kim Jong Suk.

He said the noble life of Kim Jong Suk was the most brilliant one of an outstanding woman revolutionary.

Zhang Molei, chief of the hall, in his speech bitterly grieved over the demise of leader Kim Jong Il, saying it was their wish to successfully represent the wax replica of Kim Jong Suk so they could please leader Kim Jong Il.

Expressing the will to do more things to contribute to the building of thriving socialist nation in the DPRK, he expressed belief that the Korean people would overcome difficulties and win great victory under the leadership of the dear respected Kim Jong Un.

The participants paid tribute to Kim Jong Suk and looked round the gifts on display.

It is not clear if the KJS statue unveiled Tuesday is the same wax figure the DPRK ordered from China nearly two years ago.  In October 2010 South Korean media reported  that during a meeting with Chinese leadership in August 2010 Kim Jong Il requested a Chinese studio construct a wax statue of his mother.  According to that report, the statue was to be sent to the DPRK in December 2010.

Gen. Pak Jae Gyong (R), KWP Secretary Choe Tae Bok (2nd R) and KWP Secretary Kim Ki Nam tour the exhibits associated with the wax figure (Photo: KCNA)

DPRK Delegation Meets Chinese President

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) shakes hands with Kim Yong Il, an alternate member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and also head of the international department of the WPK, during a meeting with a visiting WPK delegation headed by Kim in Beijing, capital of China, April 23, 2012. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

KWP International Secretary Kim Yong Il (Kim Yo’ng-il) met with Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday, 23 April, in Beijing.  The meeting took place after a strategic dialogue between the Korean Workers’ Party and the Chinese Communist Party on Saturday (21 April) and it occurred as DPRK state media amped up its attacks on South Korea’s political leadership and ahead of an upcoming US-PRC interaction.  Kim’s meeting with Hu most likely included discussions of the DPRK’s launch of the U’nha-3.  The Chinese leadership may also have restated its invitation for DPRK supreme leader, Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) to visit China.   Xinhua English reports:

Hu said the success of the Fourth WPK Conference and the fifth session of the 12th Supreme People’s Assembly, at which Kim Jong Un was elected the supreme leader, will be remembered as a major event in the political life of the WPK and the DPRK people. He described it as significant for the future in construction of the DPRK’s ruling party and nation.

The president expressed confidence that, under Kim Jong Un, the WPK and DPRK government will lead its people to blaze new trails and make new achievements in the cause of building a prosperous and strong country.

During the meeting, Hu said China-DPRK friendship was created and fostered by older generations of leaders and has become a common wealth of both countries. China will as always work with DPRK comrades to maintain high-level contact and exchanges between the political parties, promote practical cooperation and good-neighborly friendship and strengthen communication and coordination on major regional and international issues, according to Hu.

He added the two sides will make unremitting efforts to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, realize long-term security of Northeast Asia and promote common development.

According to Kim Yong Il, Kim Jong Un’s election as First Secretary of the WPK and First Chairman of the National Defence Commission laid a solid foundation for the DPRK to carry through the unfulfilled will of late DPRK leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and advance the cause of revolution and construction.

Kim Yong Il said the DPRK is delighted to see China’s achievements under the leadership of the CPC in implementing scientific development and building a harmonious society.

He added the tradition of friendship between the ruling parties and the two countries was cherished by past leaders. The DPRK side is delighted to see strengthening relations between the two countries.

Kim Yong Il said cooperation between the WPK and CPC followed the teachings of late Chairman Kim Il Sung and late General Secretary Kim Jong Il and it will remain the firm stance of the WPK. He said the DPRK will as always work hard to advance relations between the ruling parties and the two countries.

Li Yuanchao, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Organizational Department of the CPC Central Committee, also met with Kim Yong Il Monday afternoon.

Li hailed the friendship between China and the DPRK, pledging to enhance exchanges, cooperation and strategic communication between the two sides so as to further bilateral ties.

Kim Yong Il reaffirmed the DPRK’s will to deepen exchange and cooperation with China in various fields.

Kim’s visit to China and his meetings on Monday with President Hu, Li Yuanchao and his Saturday meeting with Wang Jiarui may have been arranged on short notice.  Hankyoreh reports:

While there was no word on whether the two countries discussed North Korea’s recent rocket launch at the talks, sources suggested the discussions focused on the political situation in the wake of that launch.

A diplomatic source in Beijing said, “To the rest of the world, China is clearly stating its opposition to additional sanctions that might destabilize North Korea, but to Pyongyang it gave a clear warning that it should not engage in any further provocations that might make the situation worse, such as a third nuclear test.

“We also believe North Korea briefed Beijing on the appointment of Kim Jong-un to first secretary at the recent WPK representatives’ meeting,” the source added.

The talks between Pyongyang and Beijing came at a chilly time between the countries. China was unusually critical of North Korea after its rocket launch and didn’t stand in the way of a United Nations Security Council president’s statement condemning Pyongyang’s actions.

As the meeting took place on Saturday, typically a day off, and the North Korean delegation arrived via Air China on a day when there were no Beijing flights for the North Korean carrier Air Koryo, observers suggested Pyongyang was troubled by China’s strong response and hurriedly arranged the talks in an effort at appeasement.

Xinhua said these were the second strategic talks between North Korea and China, after a first set in North Korea in June 2011.

DPRK, PRC Hold “Strategic Dialogue” in Beijing

Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo (R) shakes hands with Kim Yong Il, alternate member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the central committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), in Beijing, China, April 22, 2012. Dai met with a WPK delegation led by Kim Yong Il here on Sunday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Korean Workers’ Party International Secretary Kim Yong Il (Kim Yo’ng-il) traveled to China during the weekend.  On Saturday (21 April) Kim held what DPRK state media called a “strategic dialogue” with senior officials of the Chinese Communist Party led by Wang Jiarui.  Kim also met with State Councilor Dai Bingguo.  These were the first reported meetings between DPRK and Chinese officials since an early April visit to the DPRK by a PLA delegation led by Maj. Gen.  Qian Lihua and the first reported DPRK-PRC interaction since the 12 April launch of the U’nha-3.  The DPRK-PRC interactions occurred after military analysts indicated that a transporter erector launcher [TEL] vehicle used during a DPRK military parade on 15 April was either imported from China, or manufactured using Chinese specs.  KCNA reports:

A strategic dialogue between the Workers’ Party of Korea and the Communist Party of China took place in Beijing on Saturday.

Present there from the WPK side were members of the WPK delegation led by Kim Yong Il, alternate member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the C.C., the WPK, and Ji Jae Ryong, DPRK ambassador to China, and from the CPC side Wang Jiarui, head of the International Liaison Department of the C.C., the Communist Party of China, and members of the department.

Both sides exchanged views on further developing the friendly and cooperative relations between the two parties and two countries and matters of mutual concern.

The dialogue proceeded in a comradely and friendly atmosphere.

Wang Jiarui gave a reception in honor of the WPK delegation in the evening.

Yonhap reports:

Senior officials from North Korea and China held their talks in Beijing and exchanged views about matters of mutual concern, Pyongyang’s state media reported Sunday, in the first high-level meeting since the North’s botched rocket launch.

The “strategic dialogue” between Kim Yong-il, the secretary for international affairs at the North Korean Workers’ Party, and Wang Jiarui, the head of the Chinese Communist Party’s international department, took place on Saturday, the North’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

“Both sides exchanged views on further developing the friendly and cooperative relations between the two parties and two countries, and matters of mutual concern,” the KCNA said in the report.

North Korea defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket on April 13, but the launch flopped as the rocket crashed after flying for a couple of minutes.

Pyongyang claimed the launch was designed to put a satellite into orbit, but Seoul, Washington and others blasted it as a cover for testing improved ballistic missile technology.

Last week, China joined a statement by the United Nations Security Council that “strongly condemned” the North’s launch and warned it will impose new sanctions if Pyongyang carries out another launch of a long-range rocket or a nuclear test.

Kim Yong Il also met with Dai Bingguo.  Xinhua English reports:

Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo met with a Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) delegation from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Beijing on Sunday .

The delegation was headed by Kim Yong Il, alternate member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the central committee of the WPK.

Dai applauded the traditional friendship between the DPRK and the Chinese sides, saying that China is willing to work together with the DPRK to lead the friendship and cooperation between the two nations to new heights.

Dai said that he was sure the DPRK party, government and people will continue to make new achievements in their aim of building a prosperous country.

During their meeting, Kim Yong Il agreed with Dai’s appraisal on the DPRK-China relationship. He said the DPRK attaches great importance to the friendship and cooperation with China. He added that the DPRK will follow the instructions by late general secretary Kim Jong Il and first secretary Kim Jong Un of the WPK to make all-out efforts to advance the traditional DPRK-China friendship in a sustainable way.

PLA Foreign Affairs Delegation Visits DPRK

National Defense Commission Vice Chairman and Minister of the People's Armed Forces, VMar Kim Yong Chun (front row, C) poses for a commemorative photograph with Maj. Gen. Qian Lihua (front row, 4th L) and PRC Ambassador to the DPRK Liu Hongcai (4th R) on 6 April 2012 (Photo: KCNA)

A delegation of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army [PLA] foreign affairs department, led by Maj. Gen. Qian Lihua visited the DPRK.  Maj. Gen. Qian was reported as having previously visited the DPRK in October 2010, along with Central Military Commission Vice Chairman, Guo Boxiong, on the 60th anniversary of China’s participation in the Fatherland Liberation (Korean) War.  He also led a delegation of PLA foreign affairs officials in  September 2009.  After arriving in the country, Maj. Gen. Qian and his delegation brought a floral basket to the equestrian statue of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il at Mansudae Art Studio, visited KIS’ birthplace in Mangyo’ngdae and the Friendship Tower on 5 April (Thursday).

A delegation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army foreign affairs service poses at Kim Il Sung's birthplace at Mangyo'ngdae on 5 April 2012 (Photo: KCNA)

KCNA reports:

The delegation of the diplomatic officials of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army led by Major General Qian Lihua, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Ministry of National Defense, visited Mangyongdae on Thursday.

The delegation members at the old home of President Kim Il Sung viewed the relics preserved carefully, being briefed on the revolutionary history of President Kim Il Sung and his family.

The delegation head made an entry in the visitor’s book.

They on the same day laid bouquets of flowers at the bust of anti-Japanese woman hero Kim Jong Suk at the revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery on Mt. Taesong before paying a silent tribute to her and looking around the cemetery.

They also visited the Friendship Tower.

Maj. Gen. Qian Lihua signs a guestbook after touring Kim Il Sung's birthplace and childhood home at Mangyo'ngdae in west Pyongyang on 5 April 2012 (Photo: KCNA)

Members of a delegation of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense (PLA) foreign affairs department pay their respects to memorial equestrian statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il at Mansudae Art Studio in central Pyongyang on 5 April 2012 (Photo: KCNA)

On Friday (6 April), Maj. Gen. Qian met with National Defense Commission [NDC] Vice Chairman and Minister of the People’s Armed Forces Kim Yong Chun.  During the meeting the PLA delegation presented a gift to Kim Jong Un, received by VMar Kim.  KCNA reports:

Vice-Marshal of the Korean People’s Army Kim Yong Chun, minister of the People’s Armed Forces, Friday had a friendly talk with the visiting delegation of diplomatic officials of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army led by Major General Qian Lihua, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Ministry of National Defense.