China, North Korea Mark 65 Years of Treaty, Vow Deeper Strategic Ties

North Korea and China vowed commitment to further spearheading their ties as the two countries mark 65 years of their treaty of friendship and eye expanding cooperation across the sectors of economy, infrastructure along with deepening military and diplomatic ties, China Daily reported.

China Daily further noted that Xi Jinping reaffirmed the commitment to strengthening ties with North Korea during his two-day visit to Pyongyang, his first trip to the country in seven years.

During talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Xi expressed readiness to work closely with Pyongyang to strengthen top-level strategic coordination and deepen bilateral relations in what he described as a "new era" of ties between the two nations.

Xi said China remains committed to 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.

How did Xi Jinping describe the future of China–North Korea ties amid global changes?

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 between China and North Korea.

He said stronger bilateral ties would contribute positively to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.

The Chinese President also underlined the importance of enhancing exchanges between the ruling parties and expanding cooperation across diplomacy, law enforcement, military affairs and governance and called for elevating practical cooperation in sectors including economy and trade, agriculture, construction, science and technology, and healthcare.

As per 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, meanwhile, 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 said 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.

(With inputs from ANI)