China, DPRK reaffirm commitment to closer ties

China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening friendly ties and sharing experience in party governance, marking the latest in a series of high-level exchanges between the two neighbors.

The commitments were made on Thursday when Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in Beijing with a Workers' Party of Korea delegation led by Kim Song-nam, a member of the Political Bureau, secretary and international department director of the Central Committee of the WPK.

Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, said China stands ready to work with the DPRK to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and countries, deepen bilateral relations and deliver greater benefits to both peoples.

Close exchanges between President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, and Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the WPK and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, have guided the continued improvement of bilateral ties, Wang said.

In particular, he said Xi's state visit to the DPRK in June saw the two leaders reach a series of important common understandings, charting the course for bilateral relations in the new era.

Briefing the delegation on the fifth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, Wang said the most important outcome was the adoption of the resolution on certain major issues concerning persevering with full and rigorous Party self-governance.

The resolution carries major immediate significance and provides long-term guidance for strengthening the Party and advancing the building of a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization, he said.

China stands ready to strengthen exchanges of experience and mutual learning with the DPRK on party and state governance to support the development of both parties and advance the socialist cause in both countries, he added.

Kim Song-nam said the deep friendship and strategic guidance of the two leaders form the fundamental cornerstone of China-DPRK friendship, while socialism is their shared ideal, banner and cause.

Pyongyang is willing to work with Beijing to make tireless efforts to advance China-DPRK friendly relations, he added.

Thursday's meeting came within two weeks after Kim Jong-un paid a visit to Dandong, Liaoning province.

Exchanges and cooperation between the two countries have deepened across various fields over the past two years. Bilateral trade in the first half of this year reached its highest level for the period since 2018.

International passenger train services, Air China flights and operations at land border crossings have all fully resumed this year. The New Yalu River Bridge, opened on Oct 15, is expected to further facilitate trade and people-to-people exchanges.

Yang Danzhi, a research fellow at the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said deepening practical cooperation and exchanges on state governance and party building helps carry forward the revolutionary legacy and traditional friendship between the two parties and countries and opens a new chapter in China-DPRK relations.