BEIJING -- BEIJING (AP) — North Korea is celebrating Friday the 80th anniversary of the ruling party and different foreign dignitaries and leaders will be part of the commemoration.The Workers’ Party celebrations will serve to show once again how North Korea is trying to shore up its relations with some key global players and allies, such as China and Russia, who are sending high-level representatives.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has had in China his most important ally, and in recent years he has also built ties with Russia, a country North Korea has helped by sending troops to participate in its war against Ukraine.In September, Kim Jong Un stood next to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of a visit to Beijing to attend a massive military parade marking the end of the World War II.The plans of what will happen during the commemoration have not been revealed, but some foreign leaders have started arriving.
Here’s a view of some of the leaders and high-level representatives that are expected to attend:Premier Li Qiang arrived Thursday in Pyongyan, North Korea's capital, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.Li's presence is the highest-level visit by a Chinese leader since 2019.He is one of seven members of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party’s Politburo, the apex of power in China.
As premier, he is generally considered the No.2 leader in China after President Xi Jinping.
Li has been representing China on more foreign trips and high-level events recently, including the United Nations General Assembly in September.Popular ReadsGovernment shutdown updates: IRS to furlough nearly half its staffOct 8, 4:19 PMCentral witness undermines case against Comey, prosecutors concluded: SourcesOct 8, 10:36 AMSniper opens fire on Dallas ICE facility, killing 1 detainee, wounding 2: DHSSep 24, 6:39 PMRussia is sending Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president who serves as deputy head of the Security Council cha...