Xi Jinping promises to ‘deepen the corporation’

On Sunday, October 6, 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent messages of cooperation and strengthening bilateral relations, marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

According to Malay Post, The leaders of both countries congratulated each other on completing 75 years of diplomacy between China and North Korea.

According to state news agency Xinhua, Xi said: “China is willing to cooperate with the North Korean side… to strengthen strategic communication and coordination, deepen friendly exchanges and cooperation, and (and) write a new chapter in the traditional bilateral relations of friendship.”

He further added that China and North Korea “have cooperated closely to promote peace and stability in the region and uphold international justice and fairness.”

China and North Korea are their largest trading partners, and the two countries have a long history of supporting each other in wars and conflicts.

Meanwhile, according to North Korean state agency KCNA, Kim promised that “(Pyongyang) will continuously strive to consolidate and develop friendly and cooperative relations between (North Korea) and China.”

Notably, China’s message of cooperation came after North Korea and Russia’s efforts to improve bilateral relations, which Beijing was not very happy about.

Experts believe that the coming months will clarify the exact situation in relations between China and North Korea.