China pledges to strengthen cooperation with North Korea

China has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening ties with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and promoting cooperation between the two countries, according to a letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 9 addressing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

“The Chinese side is ready to join hands in promoting the China-DPRK friendship and the socialist cause of the two countries through intensified strategic communication, brisk visits, and close cooperation with the DPRK side, thus making a greater contribution to peace and development in the region and the rest of the world,” Xi wrote, Caliber.Az reports per DPRK media. 

In the letter, addressed on the occasion of the 77th founding anniversary of the DPRK, Xi Jinping extended “warm congratulations and heartfelt wishes” to Kim Jong Un and the North Korean government and people.

Xi also praised the DPRK’s recent achievements under the leadership of Kim Jong Un and expressed confidence in the country’s progress ahead of the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

The message also emphasised the bilateral relationship, describing China and the DPRK as “traditional and friendly neighbours which are linked by the same mountain and river.”

By Sabina Mammadli