Jiang visits N. Korean mission in Beijing

Chinese chief of state Jiang Zemin paid a surprise visit to the North Korean embassy in Beijing on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the (North) Korean Worker¡¯s Party. It was his second visit there in 39 months since July 1997, when North Korea observed the end of the two-year mourning period in honor of its late dictator Kim Il-Sung.

Jiang's visit, accompanied by a number of ranking government and military leaders including Foreign Minister Tang Zashian, is construed to be a diplomatic gesture to show that China is interested in befriending North Korea more.

Kim Jong-Il, North Korea's strongman and chairman of the National Defense Commission, paid a surprise visit to Beijing for three days toward the end of May just prior to a summit with the South Korean president.

Jiang met with North Korean ambassador Ju Chang-Jun to discuss various issues before attending the reception Ju hosted at the embassy to celebrate the 55th birthday of the North Korean ruling party.

Sources said the Chinese leader spoke highly of Pyongyang's efforts to improve relations with South Korea and also with several other Western countries. Thus, Jiang seemed to put a stamp of approval on the North's policy of rapprochement toward former adversaries and opening up to the outside world.

In the meantime, Beijing in a telegram sent to Kim congratulated the latter on his remarkable achievement in foreign relations and promised continued effort to promote friendly ties between China and North Korea.