Chinese and Russian Delegations to Visit North Korea Together Ahead of Korean War Anniversary

China and Russia are sending high-level delegations to North Korea ahead of the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. Chinese Communist Party official Li Hongzhong will lead the Chinese delegation, marking the highest-level visit since the pandemic. The visit signifies Beijing's support for North Korea and Pyongyang's willingness to relax pandemic-era border restrictions. A Russian delegation led by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will also visit North Korea for the anniversary. Meanwhile, tensions between North Korea, South Korea, and the US continue to simmer, with North Korea conducting missile tests and the US deploying military assets.