World
Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping declare 2024 'year of DPRK-China friendship'
Dictator Kim Jong Un and President Xi Jinping are spending 2024 celebrating their countries’ friendship.
The supreme leader of North Korea and highest-ranking official of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) swapped declarations of “DPRK-China friendship” as the world welcomed in the new year this week.
“Through the ‘year of DPRK-China friendship,’ the two parties and two countries will further promote exchange and visits in all fields, including politics, economy and culture, further deepen the ties of friendship and unity, and intensify the cooperation in the joint struggle to safeguard regional and global peace and stability, thus adding a new page to the history of the DPRK-China relations,” a report from state media outlet Korean Central News Agency reads.
“DPRK” is an abbreviation of “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” the official name of the North Korean state.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping reviews the honour guard during a welcome ceremony at The Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Florence Lo – Pool/Getty Images)
Xi responded with a similar declaration of friendship for the Kim regime, celebrating “China-DPRK friendly and cooperative relations.”
“In recent years, the traditional China-DPRK friendly and cooperative relations have entered a new historic period, thanks to the joint efforts and encouragement of both sides,” Xi said in his statement.
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Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Kim Jong Un before their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Xinhua/Shen Hong via Getty Images)
The CCP general secretary continued, “It is our steadfast policy to successfully defend, consolidate and develop the traditional China-DPRK friendly and cooperative relations.”
North Korea is a strategic regional ally for China as the CCP aims to consolidate diplomatic power and push back against perceived intrusion by Western nations.
Speaking Friday at a gathering of Chinese diplomats and ambassadors in Beijing, Xi took a militant tone as he urged the ministers to keep China’s development foremost in their mind and safeguard national interests against encroaching Western powers.
In this undated photo, Kim Jong Un, center, attends a meeting of the North Korean ruling Workers’ Party’s central military commission in Pyongyang. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
“It is necessary to […] resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, with an attitude of readiness to fight and a firm will to defy strong powers,” Xi said, according to state-owned news outlet Xinhua.
Xi lamented what he called “escalating oppression and containment of China by external forces” in his speech, urging Chinese diplomats to “put discipline and rules first” to “build a diplomatic iron army loyal to the party, brave in taking responsibilities, daring to fight and being good at fighting.”
Kim Jong Un, meanwhile, has made repeated threats of nuclear attack against the US if provoked, saying in a Sunday meeting that “the treasured sword” of North Korea must be “sharpened.”
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A gunman who fatally shot a Canadian tourist and wounded more than a dozen others atop a historic pyramid in Mexico on Monday has been identified, according to officials.
Authorities identified the gunman as 27-year-old Julio Cesar Jasso, a Mexican national, according to a state official who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
Jasso later died by suicide after turning the gun on himself, and security officials found a gun, a knife and ammunition. Authorities said he acted alone, with the State of Mexico government confirming he was the sole assailant on Monday night.
Officials said seven of the victims were struck by gunfire, while others were hurt in the chaos as people scrambled to get down from the pyramids, with some falling during the panic.
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The Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun are seen along with smaller structures lining the Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan, Mexico, on March 19, 2020. A gunman killed a Canadian tourist and injured several others before taking his own life at the popular site, authorities said Monday. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)
Those hospitalized included tourists from several countries, among them the United States, Colombia, Russia, Brazil and Canada, authorities said. The victims ranged in age from 6 to 61.
Footage circulating in local media appears to show the suspect positioned atop the structure as visitors rushed for safety below, with gunfire echoing across the site.
Police and forensic workers stand on a pyramid after authorities said a gunman opened fire in Teotihuacan, Mexico, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
The Teotihuacan complex, located just outside Mexico City, is one of the country’s most visited archaeological landmarks, drawing millions of international visitors each year to its towering pre-Hispanic structures.
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The shooting took place shortly after 11:30 a.m. when dozens of tourists were at the top of the Pyramid of the Moon.
Security measures at the site have changed in recent years, with routine entry screenings no longer consistently in place, according to a local guide.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on social media that the shooting would be investigated and that she was in touch with the Canadian Embassy.
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“What happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us. I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families,” she wrote.
Anita Anand, Canada’s foreign affairs minister, said on X that as a “result of a horrific act of gun violence, a Canadian was killed and another wounded in Teotihuacán” and that her “thoughts are with their family and loved ones.”
People visit the Pyramid of the Sun in the pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan near Mexico City, Mexico, on March 21, 2024, following the spring equinox. (Henry Romero/Reuters)
Later in the evening, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson also expressed “deep concern” and sadness over the deaths and numerous injuries, and said in a post on X that the U.S. is “ready to provide support as needed while Mexican authorities continue their investigation.”
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The National Institute of Anthropology and History said in a statement that the Teotihuacán archaeological site will remain closed until further notice.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Norway has pushed back against criticism from US President Donald Trump over what he described as “zero” European support in the conflict with Iran.
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“NATO is a defensive alliance. It is not an attack alliance,” Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told Euronews’ Europe Today flagship morning show.
Eide said NATO members are focused on safeguarding key global trade routes, including keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. “NATO countries are doing something, but it’s not as a party to a conflict,” he added.
Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO allies for not backing Washington in the Iran conflict. He raised the issue again during a White House meeting earlier this month with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Eide argued that there had been no prior preparation or consensus within the alliance. As a result, there is “very limited appetite” among member states to join the war.
He said that while both the US and Iran may have reasons to end the conflict, “the sides are far apart”, with negotiations hindered by opposing demands.
On Monday, Trump said the United States would maintain its blockade of Iranian ports until Tehran agrees to a peace deal.
Still, Eide pointed to signs of “some progress”, noting the broader global impact of the conflict. “This is not only an issue for the two sides, but it affects the whole world economy,” he said.
Addressing a European diplomatic push to establish a Palestinian state, Eide reiterated support for a two-state solution based on long-standing United Nations principles. However, he acknowledged that such an outcome is “not around the corner”.
He added that a two-state solution is also in Israel’s interest, describing it as “the only viable solution for real peace in a very troubled region”.
Norway, alongside Spain and Ireland, recognised the State of Palestine in 2024.
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