Following the meeting between Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un last month, Wang Huning, a member of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee and also known as the “National Master of Three Reigns,” recently led a delegation to visit North Korea. Kim Jong-un only met with the entire Chinese delegation with one interpreter, leading to accusations of publicly humiliating Wang Huning and sparking discussions.
From July 15th to 17th, Wang Huning led a delegation to visit North Korea and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The Chinese delegation’s visit to North Korea this time was of high specification, including Wang Dongfeng, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Liaison Department of the CPC Central Committee, Qi Yu, Party Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pei Jinjia, Minister of Veterans Affairs, Chinese Ambassador to North Korea Wang Yajun, Deputy Minister of International Liaison Department Sun Haiyan, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Culture and Tourism Gao Zheng, and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Hong Liang.
Photos released by the North Korean state news agency show Kim Jong-un meeting with Wang Huning and his delegation. In the picture, Kim Jong-un sits alone on one side of a large oval table with only one interpreter behind him, while Wang Huning and his nine-person delegation sit on the opposite side, with a large empty space in between. When Kim Jong-un speaks, the Chinese officials lower their heads to take notes, creating a strong visual contrast of “one person speaking, a group taking notes.”
This scene sparked discussions on social media, with many netizens commenting, “It’s too disrespectful,” and “It looks like they’re reporting for work.”
Independent commentator Cai Shenkun said, “Kim the Sun is playing around with the knowledgeable National Master of Three Reigns (Wang Huning). It’s really embarrassing, a high-ranking Chinese official ranked fourth, so distant from Kim the Sun. Is this a matter of protocol, venue design, or deliberately creating a special image for Kim the Sun?”
Human rights activist Wu Renhua said, “This is not a meeting, it’s a reception in a master-servant style.”
Public information shows that since Kim Jong-un took office in 2012, five Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee members have visited North Korea individually, including Liu Yunshan, Li Zhanshu, Zhao Leji, Li Keqiang, and Wang Huning. In October 2015, Kim Jong-un met with Liu Yunshan, a member of the Central Secretariat. At that time, three senior North Korean officials accompanied the meeting. In September 2018, Chairman of the National People’s Congress, Li Zhanshu visited North Korea and Kim Jong-un met him alone on one side. In April 2024, Zhao Leji, Chairman of the National People’s Congress, visited North Korea, and Kim Jong-un also met him alone. Last year in October, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited North Korea, and Kim Jong-un only met him with Foreign Minister Ri Son Gwon, showing a serious imbalance.
An article by Hong Kong media “Ming Pao” believes that Kim Jong-un’s “meeting alone” mode also applies to Russia. Kim Jong-un met with the Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, in June last year and met with the Chairman of the Russian State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, in April this year, both in similar arrangements. In terms of diplomatic protocol, both Li Keqiang and Wang Huning are not the top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, while Kim Jong-un firmly holds power, establishing a “supreme” position, being both solitary and having a strong sense of self-esteem, the “solo” meeting can be understood in this context.
Commentator Wu Jianmin posted a comment, saying, “Fat Boy (Kim Jong-un) listens to the report alone, while Wang Huning’s entourage sits opposite. Why does Fat Boy disrespect anyone outside of Xi Jinping? Because in the eyes of a dictator, only the dictator is respected. Only when the leader of the underworld, Xi Jinping, comes to North Korea does Fat Boy need to put on a show and lead a group of entourage for a grand appearance. For China (Chinese Communist Party), it is sufficient to elevate Xi Jinping alone, why bother giving so much face to other lackeys? This photo is the most vivid portrayal of the master’s attitude towards the servants.”