Xi Jinping and Putin send messages for North Korea’s founding anniversary, reinforcing ties

China and Russia used North Korea’s founding anniversary to reaffirm their ties with Pyongyang, sending separate congratulatory messages to Kim Jong Un on September 9.

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The two China and North Korea are friendly socialist neighbors who protect and help each other and share a common destiny.

North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun published the full texts of the messages from Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on its front page. Xi called China and North Korea “friendly socialist neighbors who protect and help each other and share a common destiny.”

He also reaffirmed that protecting, consolidating and developing relations between the two countries remains the consistent and firm policy of the Chinese party and government. Xi said he was ready to continue strengthening the strategic guidance of bilateral relations with Kim, promote the welfare and friendship of the two peoples, and contribute to peace and stability in the region and the world.

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Protecting, consolidating and developing China-North Korea relations is the consistent and firm policy of the Chinese party and government.

The messages arrive amid assessments that China-North Korea relations had become more distant as Pyongyang drew closer to Moscow. That picture began to change after Kim attended China’s 80th-anniversary victory parade last September and Xi visited North Korea in June.

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We are ready to continue strengthening strategic guidance of relations between the two parties and the two countries with Comrade General Secretary Kim Jong Un, promote the welfare and friendship of the two peoples, and contribute to peace and stability in the region and the world.