China sends congratulatory message to N. Korea 시진핑， 김정은에 축전…″지역 평화와 안정에 이

China has sent a congratulatory message to North Korea celebrating the regime′s establishment. The message has widely been seen as a friendly gesture， but one North Korea expert has implied that relations between the two may not be as friendly as they seem. Connie Kim explains further. China′s leader has sent a congratulatory message to the leader of North Korea to mark the 67th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean regime. The North′s Korea Central News agency reported Wednesday the message was sent by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang to Kim Jong－un and his top aides. The message is one sent by China every year， but what′s drawing extra attention to this year′s message is that... for the first time... China said it is seeking stable， long－term bilateral ties with the North. That may be so， but one expert has said there may be a way to persuade China to change its policy of supporting the North. Doug Bandow of the Cato Institute said in a World Post article from last week， recounting his discussion with a Chinese scholar，... that closer cooperation between the U.S. and China could change the calculus in the region. The scholar outlines the major problems between the North and China with denuclearization chief among them and proposes trilateral talks with the U.S. as one way to get there. China is North Korea′s closest traditional ally， but bilateral ties have long been frayed with Pyongyang′s nuclear test in 2013 and its missile tests. Reflecting Pyongyang′s uncomfortable feelings towards Beijing，… the North′s state－run Rodong Sinmun newspaper posted Xi′s message on the second page of its Wednesday edition，... while congratulatory messages from Russia and Cuba decorated the front page. Connie Kim， Arirang News.