Chinese President Xi Jinping received a solemn reception in Pyongyang as he began a 2-day state visit to North Korea.
President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan were directly welcomed at the airport by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju.
A formation of 9 vehicles escorted the Chinese leader through the streets of Pyongyang from the airport to Kim Il-sung Square.
Here, in the official welcoming ceremony, North Korea rolled out the red carpet and fired 21 rounds of cannons to welcome President Xi Jinping.
Mr. Kim Jong Un and Mr. Xi Jinping also reviewed the honor guard. According to Xinhua News Agency, the honor guard shouted in Korean "Wishing Comrade Xi Jinping good health".
In the center of the square, large portraits of the two leaders are prominently hung, next to banners in Chinese and Korean with the words: "China - North Korea eternal friendship".
Thousands of North Korean workers and students in formal attire gathered at the square, waving flags, holding flowers and balloons. At the end of the ceremony, balloons were released into the sky.
Thousands of other North Koreans also stood along the roads, carrying flags and flowers to welcome Mr. Xi Jinping.
Accompanying Mr. Xi Jinping on this trip were Mr. Cai Qi - Secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Wang Yi.
Mr. Cai Qi and Mr. Wang Yi once welcomed Mr. Kim Jong Un when the North Korean leader arrived in Beijing by train in 2025 to attend the military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
