Xi Jinping arrives in North Korea for first visit in seven years

Pyongyang, June 8 (UNI) Chinese President Xi Jinping touched down in Pyongyang on Monday for a two-day state visit, his first trip to North Korea in seven years. Xi was accorded a grand ceremonial welcome in Pyongyang by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and First Lady Ri Sol Ju. The reception included a red-carpet ceremony, a guard of honour and large crowds waving Chinese and North Korean flags, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Ahead of the visit, Xi hailed ties between Beijing and Pyongyang, describing the relationship as standing at a "new historical starting point" and saying the…