Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Workers’ Party of Korea, held on Thursday and Friday in Pyongyang.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attended the celebration ceremony and watched grand mass gymnastics, artistic performances, and military parades.

Li’s arrival in Pyongyang marked the first goodwill visit to North Korea by a Chinese premier since former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s trip to the North in October 2009.

On the sidelines of the event, Li also talked with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam, Chairman of the United Russia party and Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, and others.

Beijing has been Pyongyang’s top trading partner for more than two decades, accounting for 98 per cent of North Korea’s official total imports and exports in 2024.

Source: Xinhua (11 Oct, 2025) https://english.news.cn/20251011/f40ea28aa63f4c1d82dd1b7b07845a96/c.html