North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s tour of a commercial vehicle factory during a surprise visit to the Chinese border city of Dandong on Saturday points to Pyongyang’s drive to modernise its buses and expand industrial ties with Beijing.
In a symbolic move, Kim crossed into China via the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge on Saturday and also returned to North Korea via the bridge later in the day.
It was Kim’s first trip to China since he attended a military parade in Beijing last September. His visit took place on the eve of the 76th anniversary marking the entry of Chinese troops into the Korean war in 1950, when they passed through Dandong and crossed the Yalu River into North Korea.
While Kim’s main focus on Saturday was commemorating the wartime alliance between Pyongyang and Beijing, his afternoon visit to an automotive plant has also drawn attention.
Kim toured Dandong Huanghai Automobile, which was founded in 1951 to carry out repairs for the logistics unit of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army during the Korean war.