China's vice president visits N. Korea, hails progress in ties

BEIJING, June 18 Kyodo - Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday, kicking off a three-day official visit to North Korea, China's neighbor and traditional ally.

The official Xinhua News Agency said Xi was greeted at the airport by Yang
Hyong Sop, vice president of the Presidium of Supreme People's Assembly, North
Korea's parliament.

In a statement released at the airport, Xi said friendly and cooperative
relations have been progressing under the leadership of the two nations,
according to Xinhua.

Xi is expected to meet with North Korean leaders.

Topics of their discussions are expected to range from bilateral ties to
efforts to resolve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue within the framework of
the six-party talks hosted by China.

North Korea is the first leg of Xi's tour of five nations from June 17 to 25.

He will also pay official visits to Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Yemen.

It is Xi's first overseas trip since he assumed the post of vice president in
March. He is also a member of the Communist Party's Political Bureau Standing
Committee.

According to Xinhua, trade between the two countries has developed steadily,
amounting to $1.97 billion in 2007 -- an increase of 16.1 percent over the
previous year -- while Chinese companies have committed $445 million in
investments in North Korea.

China is also North Korea's largest benefactor of humanitarian aid.

''We believe that Vice President Xi Jinping's visit will further deepen
bilateral traditional friendship and promote practical cooperation in various
fields,'' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said at a regular press
conference Tuesday.==Kyodo