Kim Jong Un pledges stronger ties with China after summit

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to further strengthen ties with China, describing a recent summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping as a historic milestone. The message was delivered in a congratulatory note from Kim to Xi marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party on Wednesday, July 1.

In the message, published by North Korea's state media, Kim stated it is the steadfast position of his government to steadily develop friendly relations with China, which he said are rooted in a shared socialist ideology. He characterized the leaders' summit in Pyongyang as an occasion that deepened comradely friendship and trust, reaffirming an unshakable will to advance bilateral relations.

The summit, which took place on June 8 and 9, was Xi's first visit to North Korea in nearly seven years and his first overseas trip of the year. During the meetings, the two leaders adopted what was described as a far-reaching blueprint to strengthen what they termed the most powerful and strategic relations between their countries. Xi called for expanded cooperation in areas including trade, agriculture, science, technology, and healthcare, following the full...