"Unbreakable relationship; time-tested ties": North Korea rolls out red carpet for Xi Jinping

Pyongyang [North Korea], June 9 (ANI): 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.
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.
Xi's visit comes amidst Pyongyang's deepening military ties with Moscow. North Korea and Russia had signed a mutual defence pact during Putin's visit to Pyongyang in 2024.
The Chinese President's visit to North Korea also comes in the wake of a visit of US President Donald Trump to Beijing followed by Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Chinese capital city. It also comes amidst China's assertions that Japan is pursuing a "new militarism" policy, a claim that Tokyo has dismissed. (ANI)