A Chinese official meets North Korean leader Kim in Pyongyang in highest-level talks in years

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese state media reports a top ranking official has reaffirmed ties with North Korea during a meeting with the country’s leader Kim Jong Un in the capital Pyongyang. The visit by Zhao Leji, who ranks third in the ruling Communist Party hierarchy and heads the ceremonial parliament, comes as tensions are again on the rise as North Korea test fires missiles launches to intimidate South Korea and its ally, the United States. The Xinhua News Agency reported that Zhao told Kim at their Saturday meeting that China, the North’s most important source of economic aid and diplomatic support, looked forward to further developing ties, but made no mention of the political situation on the peninsula.