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SEOUL: In a message of congratulations to Kim Jong Un on the anniversary of the founding of the ruling North Korean party, Chinese President Xi Jinping said he intends to deepen relations with Pyongyang, North Korean state media reported on Saturday (October 10).
“We intend to successfully defend, consolidate and develop China-Korea relations together with Korean comrades and promote the lasting and stable development of the socialist cause of the two countries,” Xi was quoted as saying by the state news agency. North Korean KCNA. .
Saturday marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Korean Workers’ Party, and events are expected to include a large military parade that may feature some of North Korea’s long-range ballistic missiles for the first time since 2018.
LEE: North Korea celebrates the anniversary of the party amid economic problems
Xi said he was “very pleased” with the achievements North Korea had made in recent years in interacting with foreign countries in the face of difficulties and challenges, KCNA reported.
After years of cold relations during which China joined the United States and other nations in imposing sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, Xi and Kim met five times in 2018 and 2019. The diplomatic offensive North Korean included a meeting of Kim with US President Donald Trump.
While North Korea says it has had no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, strict border closures and other measures it imposed to prevent an outbreak have further strained its economy, which relies heavily on trade with China.
