Pyongyang: North Korea and China have emphasized their military friendship and unity at a banquet in Pyongyang commemorating the 98th anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), as reported by the North's state media on Wednesday. The event was organized by China's top envoy to Pyongyang, Wang Yajun, at the Chinese Embassy, and it was attended by key North Korean defense, foreign, and ruling party officials, along with foreign delegates and defense attaches stationed in the North.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the banquet signifies a warming of relations between North Korea and China, the North's longstanding ally, following a period of cooler ties due to Pyongyang's close alignment with Moscow amid Russia's conflict with Ukraine. During the event, participants advocated for the continued strengthening of military cooperation between North Korea and China and expressed hopes for the ongoing development of the PLA, which celebrates its founding on August 1.
North Korea has a tradition of issuing congratulatory messages and organizing joint banquets with the Chinese Embassy to honor the PLA's anniversary. This year's report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) marks the first coverage of such an event since 2019. While last year, Beijing noted that celebrations were held at its overseas missions in South Korea, Germany, and Switzerland, there was no mention of a similar event in North Korea.
Earlier in the month, both Pyongyang and Beijing held reciprocal receptions to commemorate the 64th anniversary of their mutual defense treaty, further underscoring the renewed military ties between the two nations.