North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits China to inaugurate a new cross-border bridge

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited China on Saturday, inaugurating a new bridge that connects the two countries and saying he hoped to expand cooperation with his powerful neighbor.

Kim’s visit to China is his latest move in an increasingly assertive foreign policy as he seeks to align Pyongyang with Beijing and Moscow in a united front against the United States under what he portrays as a “new Cold War.” It’s his first visit in a year.

Kim arrived in the Chinese border city of Dandong Saturday after crossing the newly opened bridge, according to South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles affairs related to North Korea, and China’s official Xinhua News Agency.

He met with Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of China’s Communist Party. The two toured a car factory, and promised to strengthen the bilateral relationship.

Kim said his country “stands ready to work with China to carry forward their historical friendship and expand practical cooperation, thereby delivering tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries,” Xinhua said.

Wang then accompanied Kim to the bridge to send him off, according to Xinhua. North Korean state media did not immediately report on…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/world