Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to North Korea from Monday to Tuesday, marking his first trip to the country since June 2019, Chinese and North Korean state media announced on Friday.

The visit comes as China seeks to strengthen ties with its nuclear-armed neighbor amid Pyongyang’s growing cooperation with Russia, including military support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine, reports AP. 

Analysts say Beijing aims to reaffirm its influence over North Korea and protect its strategic interests in Northeast Asia.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the visit would promote bilateral relations and contribute to regional peace and stability, noting that cooperation between the two countries has continued to develop steadily.

The announcement follows North Korea’s unveiling of a new facility believed to be a uranium enrichment plant. During a visit to the site, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to expand the country’s nuclear forces “at an exponential rate.”

Experts believe the disclosure was intended to reinforce North Korea’s status as a nuclear weapons state ahead of Xi’s arrival. Analysts will closely watch whether China reiterates calls for denuclearization during the visit.

The trip also follows Xi’s recent meetings in Beijing with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

MSH

At least 34 people, including two babies were killed when a contraband fuel depot exploded into flames in southern Benin near the border with Nigeria on Saturday.

According to Beninese Interior Minister Alassane Seidou, “a serious fire occurred in the town of Seme Podji. Another 20 people were seriously wounded in the incident.”

"I can't really give you the cause of the fire, but there is a large gasoline warehouse here and cars, tricycles and motorcycles come from morning to evening,” he added.

Nigeria is a main oil and gas producer where fuel smuggling is very common along its borders, particularly when the government maintains a subsidy to keep fuel prices low.

The majority of the victims were burnt and they could not be not be identified.

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