North Korea calls Blinken's trip to China a disgrace

North Korea criticized US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's recent visit to Beijing, calling it a "praying trip" to reduce tensions in the wake of the failure of pressure on China.

In one of the most important US-China exchanges since US President Joe Biden took office, Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on Monday and agreed to manage the two countries' intense rivalry so it doesn't lead to conflict. Blinken said after the meeting that he had asked China to urge North Korea to stop firing its missiles.

In a report on the US Secretary of State's visit to Beijing, the North Korean State News Agency (KCNA) wrote: China could deal a death blow to the US economy.The news agency quoted international affairs analyst Jung Yong Hak as saying: In short, the US Secretary of State's recent visit cannot be seen as anything but a shameful begging trip, acknowledging the failure of the policy of pressure on China.

The report adds: "This is the height of America's double-dealing and arrogance of first provoking and then talking about so-called 'responsible control of dissent'."South Korean news agency Yonhap also reported that Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kreitenbrink, who is visiting Beijing, is due to visit South Korea on Wednesday to brief Seoul officials on the two-day talks in China.