The leaders of China and North Korea have announced their intention to deepen bilateral cooperation between their countries, marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. This was reported by Reuters, citing the North Korean news agency KCNA.
In his address, Chinese leader Xi Jinping emphasized the importance of developing relations between China and North Korea.
“I attach great importance to the development of relations between China and the DPRK”, he declared.
At the same time, Xi Jinping added that Beijing is ready to continue “writing a new chapter” in cooperation, focusing on strengthening communications and cooperation.
The leader of the DPRK, Kim Jong Un, for his part, promised to “steadily work on strengthening friendly relations and cooperation between the DPRK and China, in accordance with the requirements of the new era.”
China is North Korea’s largest trading partner, and the two countries have a long history of cooperation. Beijing supported Pyongyang during the Korean War, which split the Korean peninsula into North and South Korea. However, China reacted with restraint to the signing in June of the “comprehensive partnership” agreement between Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Earlier, The Times, citing intelligence sources, reported that North Korea supplies Russia with about three million artillery shells annually, which is half of the ammunition used by Russia in the war against Ukraine.
