Chinese vice foreign minister visits North Korean capital

[October 24, 2016]    SEOUL (Reuters) - Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin arrived in North Korea on Monday, North Korean state media reported, in the first visit by a high-ranking Chinese official since February, according to Japan's Kyodo news agency.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin (7th L) poses for a photo with his delegates upon arriving in Pyongyang, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) October 24, 2016. KCNA via REUTERS

Liu's visit comes as Washington and its allies urge Beijing to agree on tough new United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea after it conducted a fifth nuclear test in September.

North Korea's KCNA news agency said Liu led a Chinese delegation attending the third meeting of the DPRK-China border joint committee. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the North's official name.

China is North Korea's main ally but is angered by Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Ju-min Park in Seoul and Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

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