Ri Ryong-nam (Yonhap)
North Korea's new ambassador to China has presented his credentials to Chinese President Xi Jinping, the North's main newspaper reported Thursday.
While presenting his credentials Wednesday, Ambassador Ri Ryong-nam conveyed leader Kim Jong-un's warm greetings to Xi and the Chinese leader also asked the envoy to send his greetings to Kim, according to the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling Workers' Party.
Presenting credentials is a customary procedure before foreign ambassadors begin official duty.
Ri, 61, was appointed in February as North Korea's ambassador to China in a replacement of Ji Jae-ryong, who had served as the top envoy there since 2010,
Ri is known for his long experience on trade and the economy as he worked as the trade minister in 2008 and as the external economic affairs minister until 2016. He also had served as the North's deputy premier handling foreign trade until recently.
His appointment was seen as aimed at strengthening economic ties and cooperation with North Korea's largest trade partner and patron. It also appears to be in line with the North's push for a generational shift at key government posts.
North Korea and China have shown off their friendly relations in recent years amid Beijing's deepening rivalry with the United States and stalled denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington. (Yonhap)