Kim Jong Un message to Xi underscores North Korea-China ties
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sent a congratulatory message to Chinese President Xi Jinping marking the 105th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party. In the message, Kim said the recent summit in Pyongyang was a historic occasion that deepened comradely friendship and trust between the two leaders. He also said North Korea would continue to develop ties with China, describing the relationship as one of long-standing importance.
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According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kim said it was the steadfast position of his party and government to steadily develop friendly relations with China, with socialism as their core. He added that the two leaders had reaffirmed their unshakable will to advance bilateral ties. The message was sent as part of the anniversary marking the founding of the Chinese Communist Party.
The comments follow Xi Jinping's visit to Pyongyang on June 8 and 9, his first trip to North Korea in nearly seven years. During that visit, the two sides adopted what North Korean state media described as a far-reaching blueprint for strengthening what it called the most powerful and strategic relations. Chinese state media said Xi pushed for closer diplomatic, law enforcement and military cooperation during the summit.
The exchange matters because China remains North Korea's largest economic partner, even as Pyongyang has drawn much closer to Russia in recent years. South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance said China accounted for nearly 98 percent of North Korea's foreign trade in 2024. That makes the relationship central to North Korea's external economic position and to regional diplomacy more broadly.
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The Pyongyang summit also came against a wider backdrop of shifting alignments on the Korean peninsula. North Korea has strengthened ties with Russia, including through a strategic defence agreement that led to the deployment of thousands of North Korean troops to fight in Russia's war in Ukraine. At the same time, Beijing continues to play a major role in North Korea's trade and remains an important channel for engagement with the isolated state.
What remains unclear is how far the latest public reaffirmation will translate into practical cooperation in the months ahead. The message did not announce any new agreements, and no further details were given on follow-up steps after the June summit. Attention will now turn to whether the two governments expand contact in diplomacy, security or trade, and whether the relationship changes in response to wider regional tensions.
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