Kim Jong Un Calls for Stronger North Korea-China Ties

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said in a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping that Pyongyang wants to further expand cooperation and raise bilateral relations to a strategic level, North Korea’s state news agency reported on Thursday. The letter was sent on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

In his message, Kim congratulated the Chinese government and people on the anniversary and referred to the 65th anniversary of the friendship treaty between the two countries. He added that exchanges and cooperation between Pyongyang and Beijing had expanded this year across various sectors and should continue with greater force.

In his letter, the North Korean leader described the friendship between the two countries as enduring, saying the bond would not be shaken despite major changes in the international situation. He also described his recent meetings with Xi Jinping last year and this year as significant, and stressed the need to strengthen the friendly and special relations between the two countries.

Analysts say Kim’s annual congratulatory message on China’s National Day was longer and warmer this year, which they believe may indicate Pyongyang’s efforts to strengthen political ties with Beijing amid security developments in East Asia.

At the same time as the letter was sent, an official ceremony was held in Pyongyang, attended by Wang Yajun, China’s ambassador to North Korea, and several diplomats from the Chinese embassy. Observers have described the ceremony as another sign of the two countries’ political closeness.