North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stated on Tuesday that he will continue to deepen relations with China, describing the recent summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Pyongyang as a "historic meeting."
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim Jong Un expressed in a congratulatory message marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party that stable development of relations with Beijing is Pyongyang’s "unswerving position."
He said: "Continued development of the long-standing and historically-rooted friendship, with socialism at its core, between North Korea and China is the unwavering stance of our Party and government... The recent Pyongyang summit was a historic opportunity to deepen the comradeship and mutual trust between us."
Kim Jong Un also said he is willing to work with Xi Jinping to further develop the "friendly and cooperative relations" between North Korea and China, calling this a "valuable asset shared by the people of both countries."
This congratulatory message comes just weeks after Xi Jinping made a rare visit to Pyongyang. During the summit, Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping committed, according to North Korean state media, to a "far-sighted blueprint for bilateral relations," pledging to develop traditional friendship between the two sides into the "strongest and most strategic relationship."