North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held talks with China's fourth-highest-ranked official, Wang Huning, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported on Friday, the latest in a series of high-level exchanges between Beijing and Pyongyang. The meeting in Pyongyang comes on the heels of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea in June — the first in seven years — and reflects China's efforts to reinforce its influence over its traditional ally amid North Korea's deepening ties with Russia. The Chinese delegation led by Wang arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday, at the invitation of North Korea. Both Kim and Wang said they would work to implement the agreement reached between China and North Korea during Xi's visit. Xi and Kim agreed to expand cooperation in politics, economy and culture as well as strategic communication through visits by high-level officials, KCNA said at the time. In his meeting with Kim, Wang said the two countries' ruling parties should maintain close communication and exchanges to improve practical cooperation, according to China's state-run news agency Xinhua. China stands ready to work with North Korea to advance bilateral relations to a higher level, Wang said in talks with Jo Yong Won, a top official of the Workers' Party, according to Xinhua. Wang visited the city of Wonsan with Jo, Xinhua reported, without elaboration. The coastal city is home to a beach resort and a flagship project driven by Kim for promoting tourism, as well as being the site for North Korea's missile tests. The Chinese delegation also visited a memorial site dedicated to Chinese soldiers who died in the Korean War, a Workers' Party cadre training school and the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a mausoleum where the bodies of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il are preserved, KCNA said.
