North Korea and China Celebrate the 65th Anniversary of Their Friendship Treaty

SadaNews - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to deepen relations with Beijing during a meeting with a high-level Chinese official, according to the North Korean "Central News Agency" on Friday, coinciding with the two countries celebrating the 65th anniversary of their friendship treaty.

The Thursday meeting follows a rare visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to North Korea last month, where the two leaders vowed to enhance bilateral relations amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula and North Korea's expanding military cooperation with Russia, as reported by the "Associated Press".

Kim stated during his meeting with Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party, and other members of the delegation, that the "established policy" of the two neighboring countries is to "further develop traditional friendship and cooperation relations strongly," according to the agency.

For his part, Wang affirmed that "the firm position of the party and government in China, which places great importance on the (bilateral) friendship, will remain steadfast, and the strong support for the cause of Korean socialism led by the General Secretary Kim Jong Un will never change".

This visit comes as the two countries commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance between China and North Korea, signed in 1961.

North Korea has expanded its security relations with Russia, sending troops and ammunition to support Moscow in its war in Ukraine.

However, China remains North Korea's largest economic partner, accounting for about 98 percent of the country's foreign trade in 2024, according to data from South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance.