North Korea and China have reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral ties as the two countries mark 65 years of their treaty of friendship. During Chinese President Xi Jinping's two-day visit to Pyongyang, his first in seven years, both sides expressed readiness to expand cooperation across sectors including economy, infrastructure, military, and diplomacy, as reported by China Daily.
Xi Jinping's Commitment to Strengthening Ties
During talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping reaffirmed China's dedication to deepening relations with North Korea in what he described as a 'new era' of bilateral ties. He emphasized China's unwavering stance on preserving the traditional friendship between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), regardless of changes in the international landscape.
'No matter how the international situation changes, the CPC and the Chinese government's firm stance on highly valuing China-DPRK traditional friendship will not change,' Xi said, according to China Daily.
Strategic Vision for a Changing World
Xi noted that the world is undergoing 'profound changes unseen in a century' and called on both sides to adopt a long-term strategic vision while injecting 'new contemporary connotations' into the traditional friendship. He stressed that stronger bilateral ties would contribute positively to regional peace, stability, development, and prosperity.
Expanding Cooperation Across Sectors
The Chinese President underlined the importance of enhancing exchanges between the ruling parties and expanding cooperation across diplomacy, law enforcement, military affairs, and governance. He called for elevating practical cooperation in sectors such as economy and trade, agriculture, construction, science and technology, and healthcare.
According to China Daily, Xi also urged both sides to take advantage of the reopening of border crossings and the resumption of civil aviation flights and international passenger train services to boost people-to-people exchanges.
Kim Jong Un's Response
Kim Jong Un described China-North Korea relations as 'unbreakable' and 'time-tested'. 'The DPRK-China relationship has always stood on the right side of history and championed autonomy and justice,' Kim said, as per China Daily.
He added that relevant North Korean departments will work closely with their Chinese counterparts to implement and promote new progress in bilateral exchanges and cooperation in areas such as economy and trade, infrastructure, science and technology, education, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
Context of the Visit
Xi's visit comes amid Pyongyang's deepening military ties with Moscow. North Korea and Russia signed a mutual defence pact during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang in 2024. The Chinese President's visit to North Korea also follows visits by US President Donald Trump to Beijing and by Putin to the Chinese capital. Additionally, it occurs amidst China's assertions that Japan is pursuing a 'new militarism' policy, a claim that Tokyo has dismissed.
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