Xi pens friendship letter to N Korea

Xi Jinping will burnish China’s fragile alliance with North Korea by making his first trip to Pyongyang as president this week -- and yesterday he sealed their friendship in ink, offering a “grand plan” for regional stability. Xi, who will be the first Chinese president to visit Pyongyang in 14 years, penned a rare front-page opinion piece in North Korea’s official newspaper, touting their “irreplaceable” bond on the eve of this trip.