BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed opposition to attempts to "revive militarism" as well as "hegemonism and power politics" during his visit to North Korea earlier this week, the official Xinhua News Agency said Wednesday, with the leader apparently referring to Japan and the United States.
Xi's remarks at a welcome banquet hosted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Monday came as Beijing has recently stepped up its criticism of Tokyo's defense buildup policies advocated by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi amid a bilateral row over her comments on Taiwan.
Takaichi said in parliament last November that an attack by the mainland on the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing could prompt a response by the Self-Defense Forces in support of the United States.
The Chinese leader, who traveled to North Korea for the first time since 2019, thanked Kim for the hospitality shown during the two-day visit and said in a message that they achieved an "important common understanding" on issues of mutual interest, North Korean state-run media said Wednesday.
In the letter received by Kim on Tuesday, Xi expressed his satisfaction with the visit and said both sides showed their determination to "promote development and prosperity together and defend peace and stability in the region and the rest of the world," the official Korean Central News Agency said.
The message made no mention of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons development, which Beijing has refrained from criticizing recently.
Xi said China and North Korea have "already entered a new historic journey" and he was looking forward to meeting Kim again, according to the KCNA report.
The countries in July will mark the 65th anniversary of the signing of a treaty of mutual assistance, which includes provisions guaranteeing immediate military and other support in the event of an armed attack on either nation.
During his stay in Pyongyang through Tuesday, Xi held a summit meeting with Kim and continued their "friendly talk" at a luncheon on the second day, KCNA said.
Xi was accompanied by his wife, Peng Liyuan, and senior officials including top diplomat Wang Yi and Liu Haixing, chief of the international department of China's ruling Communist Party.
Liu said in a statement carried by Xinhua on Wednesday that promoting long-term peace and stability in the region and creating a peaceful and stable environment for development are the "common pursuits" of China and North Korea.
