China on Tuesday confirmed it has not received an invitation to attend a ceremony to mark the third anniversary of the death of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, but said it would "respect" Pyongyang's decision.
Kim, the father of North Korea's current young leader Kim Jong-un, died of heart failure on Dec. 17, 2011. Under Confucianism tradition, Wednesday's anniversary is considered significant for the young leader because it means the end of the three-year period of official mourning for his father.
Multiple diplomatic sources in Beijing said North Korea has not invited its closest ally to send a delegation to attend Wednesday's ceremony, although the exact reason remains unclear.
Asked whether North Korea extended an invitation, China's foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang replied, "As for the commemorative activity to be held by the DPRK (North Korea) side, we will respect the decision made by the DPRK side."
Qin described the late Kim as "a great leader of the DPRK," saying that "he made important contributions to relations between China and the DPRK."
"Chinese people will commemorate the leader (Kim Jong-il)," Qin said.
Diplomatic sources familiar with North Korea-China relations said that the absence of a Chinese delegation would reflect already frosty political relations between the two allies.
China has signaled impatience with its unruly neighbor, particularly since the North's third nuclear test early last year.
On Tuesday, a senior South Korean politician, Rep. Park Ji-won of the opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, headed for the North Korean border city of Kaesong to deliver a floral wreath for the anniversary. (Yonhap)
