Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korean war monument evokes ‘eternal historical memory’

Visiting a historic mountainside in Pyongyang, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasised the shared sacrifices and deep historical ties between China and North Korea.On Tuesday, Xi and first lady Peng Liyuan paid tribute at the Sino-Korean Friendship Tower in Moran Hill, accompanied by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju.Honour guards placed a floral basket at the monument bearing a ribbon inscribed with the words, “The martyrs of the Chinese People’s Volunteer (CPV) Army are immortal.”Xi then stepped forward to straighten the ribbons before the delegation observed a moment of silence.Chinese President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan were accompanied by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju, mirroring a visit the two couples paid during Xi’s last trip to North Korea in 2019. Photo: XinhuaKim later showed Xi historical documents, photographs and oil paintings inside the tower depicting Chinese and North Korean soldiers fighting side by side during the Korean War and later working together to rebuild the country.Xi and Kim agreed that “the shared battles of the 1950s remained an eternal historical memory for both nations”, according to state news agency Xinhua.