Chinese and North Korean officials step up diplomatic drive in wake of Kim Jong-un visit

Senior Chinese and North Korean officials met on Thursday in the wake of Kim Jong-un’s recent cross-border visit and a renewed drive by the two sides to deepen their relationship.

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi struck an upbeat tone on the relationship between the two countries when he hosted a visiting delegation led by Kim Song-nam, the international affairs chief of the Workers’ Party of Korea, in Beijing.

“China is ready to work with the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] to...