Mr. Xi reaffirmed China’s commitment on Thursday in a message he sent to Mr. Kim in response to the North Korean leader’s congratulatory telegram on the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The Korean Central News Agency quoted Xi as saying that North Korea and China are “great neighbors, friends and comrades who help each other, and the traditional friendly relationship between the two countries has become stronger over time.”
President Xi said that China is ready to inherit and further develop the traditional friendly relations with North Korea and deepen friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation.
Xi also said that China intends to “strengthen strategic cooperation on international and regional issues” to provide greater welfare to the peoples of the two countries and jointly safeguard regional peace, stability, and international fairness and justice.
Mr. Kim and Mr. Xi held their first meeting in more than six years in Beijing last month during the North Korean leader’s visit to attend a military parade, putting relations between the two countries back on track after soured by military ties between North Korea and Russia.
MNA/