Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in North Korea on a two-day state visit.
This is Mr. Jinping’s first trip to Pyongyang in nearly seven years. The Beijing seeks to strengthen ties with its longtime ally, which has grown closer to Russia in recent years.
The talks between the two nations are expected to focus on economic cooperation, security issues on the Korean Peninsula, and fostering coordination among Pyongyang, Beijing and Moscow.
The remarks came during Xi’s two-day visit to North Korea, his first trip to the country in seven years and his first overseas visit of the year. The summit underscored growing cooperation between the two neighbours amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in East Asia.
According to an official Chinese readout of the meeting, Xi told Kim that China remained committed to the traditional friendship between the two countries and would continue backing North Korea’s leadership and development goals.
“The firm support for Comrade General Secretary Kim Jong Un’s leadership of the DPRK socialist cause will not change, and the firm determination to safeguard common interests and a favourable strategic environment will not change,” Xi said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.