On June 2 in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In his remarks, Xi affirmed that China values and will continue to maintain its traditional friendship with North Korea, expressing a desire to expand bilateral cooperation in various fields.
According to Chinese state media, Xi said that the China-North Korea friendship will not change "no matter how the international situation fluctuates." This signals Beijing's steadfast commitment to its friendly diplomacy toward Pyongyang amid rising regional tensions.
The meeting took place as part of the North Korean leader's official visit to China. Both sides expressed willingness to boost economic and security cooperation, address shared challenges, and enhance coordination on the global stage.
Analysts view Xi's emphasis on an "unchanged friendship" as Beijing's way of asserting its strategic alliance with North Korea, even as the United States and Western countries apply continuous pressure. However, China maintains its stance supporting denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and calls for dialogue among all parties.
Details of specific cooperative agreements have not yet been released. In the coming period, the two countries are expected to hold more high-level exchanges to further strengthen bilateral ties.