Pyongyang: Senior officials from North Korea and China have held a meeting and pledged to deepen bilateral ties, according to the North's state media Friday. China's ambassador to North Korea, Wang Yajun, hosted the meeting at the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang to commemorate the 76th anniversary of China's founding on October 1, as reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
According to Yonhap News Agency, Wang Yajun emphasized the "traditional friendship" between China and North Korea, noting that it is continually evolving and creating new chapters. During the banquet, which was attended by North Korean party and government officials, including Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong-ho, Wang expressed China's willingness to thoroughly implement the important understandings reached between the leaders of the two countries and to achieve unprecedented development in their relations.
Kang Yun-sok, vice chairman of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly standing committee, echoed these sentiments, pledging to collaborate with Chinese counterparts to strengthen bilateral ties. He highlighted that the friendship is evolving to meet the demands of the new era. The attendees of the event toasted to the prosperity of China and the continuous development of China-North Korea relations.
This meeting follows recent talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in early September, held on the sidelines of a Chinese military parade. These discussions were seen as an effort to restore ties strained by Pyongyang's military alignment with Russia.
Furthermore, China and North Korea have announced that North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui will visit China from Saturday to next Tuesday, at the invitation of Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. North Korea is also preparing a large-scale military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the ruling party's founding on October 10, during which a high-level Chinese official is expected to be invited.