North Korea nuclear programme ‘absolutely non-negotiable’: Kim Jong Un’s sister

North Korea's nuclear weapons programme is "absolutely non-negotiable", the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un said in a statement carried by state media on June 7, ahead of a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.



Pyongyang has long insisted on its right to nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, although they are forbidden under the terms of UN Security Council sanctions. It enshrined its nuclear status in its Constitution in 2023.



"Our status as a nuclear power is absolutely non-negotiable," Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong said in a statement published by North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun, adding that the North "will not tolerate any threats".



The statement by Kim Yo Jong, a key player in the country's communications and foreign policy, came on the eve of Xi's visit to North Korea from June 8 to 9, according to state media.



Beijing is a vital source of political and economic support for North Korea, which is one of the most diplomatically isolated countries in the world and under heavy international sanctions.



Xi's upcoming visit to Pyongyang would be his first in seven years and comes after he hosted back-to-back summits with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in May.