Beginning to Betray Xi? Li Qiang’s Weakest Support for Xi at the Two Sessions (AI-Generated Image)
[People News] According to the Chinese Communist Party's Xinhua News Agency, Li Qiang will lead a delegation from the Chinese Communist Party and government to North Korea from October 9 to 11 to participate in the 80th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea.
Kim Jong-un attended the victory parade in Beijing and expressed his hope that Xi Jinping would also be present at the commemorative parade for the 80th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea on the 10th. However, some analysts suggest that Xi Jinping may not be able to visit two countries within a month due to health concerns.
The Chosun Ilbo reported that Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit South Korea from October 31 to November 1 for a three-day, two-night trip to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju. During his stay, Xi is expected to hold consecutive summit talks with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Korea-China and U.S.-China relations. Interestingly, on the 27th, the Beijing authorities cancelled the reservation at the Shilla Hotel, and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui visited Beijing at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
This marks the first meeting between the foreign ministers of North Korea and China, indicating that the two countries need to engage in close discussions on 'major issues'.
On the 28th, Choi Sun-hee met with Wang Yi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China, and on the 29th, she also visited Li Qiang, the Premier of the State Council of China and the 'number two' figure in the government. According to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 29th, both parties engaged in an in-depth exchange of views on international and regional issues, with their opinions completely aligned. Notably, the recent meeting between Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un earlier this month did not include the phrase 'completely aligned.' Analysts suggest that the discussions may have included topics such as Xi Jinping's potential visit to South Korea and upcoming summits involving the leaders of the U.S. and China, South Korea and the U.S., and South Korea and China.
Self-media commentator Jiang Wangzheng had previously disclosed that Li Qiang is expected to transition into a successor role, with prospects of him serving as Vice Chairman of the Military Commission at the Fourth Plenary Session. This visit signifies a delegation from the Communist Party and government, rather than solely from the State Council, raising questions about whether this truly indicates a succession, with Xi Jinping stepping back into a more behind-the-scenes role.
On July 6, Li Qiang represented Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit held in Rio de Janeiro.
On July 19, Li Qiang represented Xi Jinping at the groundbreaking ceremony for the downstream hydropower project of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Linzhi, Tibet (Miling Hydropower Station dam site).
On July 26, Li Qiang represented Xi Jinping at the '2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global Governance' held in Shanghai.
Western media have already begun to view Li Qiang as Xi Jinping's proxy, expected to represent Xi in communications with various countries in the future.
Notably, following Kim Jong-un's participation in the 93rd military parade of the Chinese Communist Party, the strategic significance of the United States concerning North Korea has also risen. On September 30, the White House announced that U.S. President Donald Trump is open to dialogue with North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un without any preconditions. This marks a subtle shift from the previous week’s stance, which emphasised 'the complete denuclearisation of North Korea' and rejected Kim Jong-un's proposal for dialogue 'conditional on abandoning denuclearisation'.
On the Russian front, it was reported that a delegation led by Dmitry Medvedev is also set to attend the commemorative event for the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea on October 10. As the second-highest official in Russia, Medvedev's presence, along with Li Qiang's attendance, indicates a unified stance with Russia.
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