NK, China vow stronger ties on treaty

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their summit in Beijing, March 28, 2018. Yonhap

North Korea and China have vowed to strengthen their relationship on the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of the two nations signing a friendship treaty, Pyongyang's state media said Wednesday.

China's embassy in the North held a feast to mark the anniversary Tuesday, attended by ranking officials from both sides, including China's top envoy in Pyongyang, Wang Yajun, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The two countries signed the treaty on July 11, 1961, under which they are obliged to provide military and other assistance to each other, a deal seen as the bedrock of their strong alliance for decades.

Kang Yun-sok, vice chairman of the North's standing committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, highlighted the "invincibility" of their bilateral relations, citing five summits between the North's leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"It is our steadfast stance to further develop the friendly ties between the two countries to a higher level in line with people's aspirations," Kang said in a speech.

Wang said the two nations will maintain their strategic communication and strengthen cooperation, the KCNA said.

North Korea has been strengthening its close ties with China, the North's traditional ally and economic benefactor, amid the intensifying rivalry between Washington and Beijing and the long-stalled denuclearization talks with the United States. (Yonhap)

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