▲ The front page of the People's Daily on the 15th of last month covering U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China (left), and the front page of the June 9th edition covering President Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea.
Chinese state media have extensively covered President Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea—his first in seven years—highlighting the friendly relations between Beijing and Pyongyang.
The People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China, dedicated its entire front page on June 9 to articles and photos regarding President Xi's visit, effectively turning the edition into a special feature on the trip.
The newspaper prominently featured five photos on the front page, capturing the official events from the previous day: President Xi being greeted by Chairman Kim Jong-un at the Pyongyang airport, the two leaders shaking hands at the Kumsusan State Guest House, the welcoming ceremony at Kim Il-sung Square, the North Korea-China summit, and their attendance at a cultural performance at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium.
The paper also focused on highlighting the meeting between the two leaders and their bilateral friendship, including the publication of an op-ed piece that President Xi contributed to the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers' Party of Korea, the previous day.
The editorial decision by the People's Daily is considered exceptional, even when compared to its coverage of other recent high-level diplomatic visits.
In its May 15 edition, the People's Daily used three photos to cover U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China, while it used five photos for Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit on the 21st of the same month.
By featuring five photos on the front page for President Xi's visit to North Korea, the newspaper has accorded the event the highest level of significance.
The People's Daily also gave significant coverage to the remarks made at the welcoming banquet held at the Mokran House in Pyongyang.
According to the report, President Xi stated, "The traditional friendship between China and North Korea has been passed down through generations and has grown stronger over time, even amidst the tests of rapidly changing international circumstances." Chairman Kim responded by saying, "President Xi's choice of North Korea for his first overseas visit this year demonstrates the high importance he places on the development of relations between the two parties and the two countries, as well as his invaluable support for North Korea's socialist cause."
The state-run Xinhua News Agency also placed articles, photos, and videos related to President Xi's visit at the top of its website and mobile platform.
In a commentary titled "We Must Inherit and Develop the Traditional Friendship Between China and North Korea," Xinhua argued, "No matter how the international situation changes, we must properly inherit and develop the traditional friendship between China and North Korea." It further claimed, "If both sides join hands to write a new chapter through this visit, the traditional friendship between China and North Korea will shine even more brilliantly in this era."
The agency added, "This will contribute even more significantly to promoting peace, stability, development, and prosperity in the region and the world," emphasizing the significance of the strategic cooperation between China and North Korea.
China Central Television (CCTV) also covered the visit extensively through its major news programs, providing detailed reports on President Xi's arrival in Pyongyang, the welcoming ceremony, the summit, the banquet, and the cultural performance.
The intensive coverage by Chinese media is interpreted as an effort to emphasize the restoration and closeness of China-North Korea relations, while simultaneously highlighting their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation.
(Photo: People's Daily capture, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.