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Shi Jiangtao

Fan Chen

President Xi Jinping met North Korean Premier Pak Thae‑song in Beijing on Friday, urging a strengthening of the “combat friendship forged in blood” and expanded strategic coordination on the eve of the 65th anniversary of their mutual defence treaty.
Pak’s three-day trip comes just weeks after Xi’s state visit to North Korea last month, the Chinese leader’s first overseas journey this year and his first to Pyongyang in seven years. The trip was widely seen as signalling a warming of relations between the socialist neighbours.
Xi told Pak that his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had provided “strategic guidance” for developing bilateral ties, injecting them with “new meaning in the current era”, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
“Friendship across generations, shared destiny and mutual support have always been defining features of [our] bilateral ties,” Xi added.

He said the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance – signed on July 11, 1961, and China’s only formal mutual defence pact – laid an important political and legal foundation for consolidating the “combat friendship forged in blood” by the two peoples.
Xi recalled his consensus with Kim that the anniversary should serve as an opportunity to carry forward the legacy of earlier leaders and ensure relations “continue to thrive in the new historical period”.
“At a time of complex and volatile international circumstances, China and North Korea should maintain strategic resolve, strengthen confidence, and accelerate implementation of the consensus,” he said, adding that closer ties would support both countries’ socialist development and modernisation.
Xi called for steady progress in practical cooperation, strengthening public support through “shared revolutionary memories” – including the contributions of the Chinese People’s Volunteers who fought in the Korean war – and ensuring younger generations carried forward the friendship.
He also emphasised stronger strategic coordination to safeguard sovereignty, security and development interests, “creating a favourable external environment for both countries to pursue socialist paths suited to their national conditions”.
Ties have improved markedly since late 2025, following Beijing’s obvious unease over North Korea’s deepening military cooperation with Russia, which saw Pyongyang send troops to aid Moscow in its war against Ukraine.
During his summit with Kim last month, Xi described Beijing’s commitment to North Korea and Kim as “unwavering”.
The two sides agreed to expand exchanges at all levels and deepen cooperation across politics, economy, culture and other fields, while strengthening strategic coordination.
Pak was quoted in the Chinese read-out as hailing the Pyongyang meeting as a “new milestone” in relations that strengthened public support for bilateral ties, adding that the treaty provided “strong legal guarantees” for long-term cooperation.


Pak told Xi that North Korea would implement agreements reached by the two leaders, deepen unity and “develop bilateral relations into the strongest strategic partnership”, while reaffirming Pyongyang’s support for Beijing on its “core interests”, including Taiwan.
He also vowed that the two countries would “jointly promote the socialist cause and work together to defend regional and global peace”.
Pak, a member of the Politburo Presidium of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, landed at Beijing Capital International Airport on Friday morning accompanied by a joint party and government delegation.
In a rare move early Friday, the People’s Daily, a Communist Party mouthpiece, published an article praising important North Korean construction projects for “infusing socialist construction with robust vitality”.
The piece highlighted Pyongyang’s progress in tackling housing issues for both urban and rural residents, noting the completion of 50,000 housing units in the capital over the past five years and some 32,000 newly built homes in rural areas in 2025 alone.
It also commended North Korea’s progress in rural food production and large-scale construction of industrial factories, hospitals and service facilities across the country.
Pyongyang has struggled to revive its economy in recent years following strict border closures during the coronavirus pandemic, but is now seeing unexpected boosts driven by arms sales and troop deployments to Russia, alongside supplies and financing from China.
Its economic downturn began to reverse following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with growth expanding to 3.7 per cent in 2024, according to estimates from central bank observers. Pyongyang has openly supported Russia in the Ukraine war.
Last year, Kim travelled to Beijing for commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The ceremony saw Xi, Kim and their Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, standing side by side in Tiananmen Square, a rare display of solidarity among the three countries amid mounting pressure from the United States and its allies.
In October last year, Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited North Korea, joining celebrations for the 80th anniversary of North Korea’s ruling party.


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Chinese leader also calls to boost strategic coordination as North Korean premier visits Beijing to mark 65th anniversary of defence pact


Chinese leader also calls to boost strategic coordination as North Korean premier visits Beijing to mark 65th anniversary of defence pact.


Xi Jinping urges stronger China-North Korea ‘combat friendship forged in blood’

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Chinese leader also calls to boost strategic coordination as North Korean premier visits Beijing to mark 65th anniversary of defence pact

Chinese leader also calls to boost strategic coordination as North Korean premier visits Beijing to mark 65th anniversary of defence pact