China, North Korea announce plans to firm up ties amid reports of rift over Pyongyang cosying up to Moscow

China, North Korea announce plans to firm up ties amid reports of rift over Pyongyang cosying up to Moscow

Close allies China and North Korea January 1 announced plans to jointly designate 2024 as the 'China-DPRK Friendship Year' and launched a series of activities, amid speculation over Beijing's concerns over Pyongyang moving closer to Moscow.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in their New Year greetings announced plans to hold a series of events designating this year as Friendship Year, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Kim, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), announced the plans in their exchange of New Year messages.

North Korea is regarded as the closest strategic ally of China with close security and economic cooperation.

However, recent reports said Beijing was concerned over moves by Kim to establish closer security cooperation with Russia, especially over Pyongyang launching a spy satellite with Moscow's assistance.

Kim spent a week in Moscow in September holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The satellite, allegedly capable of spying on the White House and US naval bases, was the first by Pyongyang to successfully enter orbit following previous failed attempts.

This prompted South Korean intelligence to speculate that North Korea had received key technical support from Russia in return for delivery of weapons to support the war in Ukraine, though both Russia and North Korea have denied any arms deal, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported last week.

Observers say China is cautious about joining a trilateral axis that could trigger a 'new Cold War', the Post reported.

In his New Year message to Kim, Xi highlighted close bilateral ties and said the traditional friendly cooperation between China and the DPRK has entered a new historical period with joint efforts.

The two sides have maintained close strategic communication, deepened practical cooperation, strengthened coordination and collaboration in multilateral international affairs, pushed forward the continuous development of China-DPRK relations, safeguarded the common interests of the two countries, and maintained regional peace and stability, Xi added.

In his message, Kim noted that 2024 is a significant year marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and China, saying that socialist construction in the two countries has at the moment entered a new stage of progress and the international situation is undergoing complex changes.

The unbreakable DPRK-China friendship, forged and consolidated in the struggle for socialism, will be fully displayed this year, he said.

Through the activities during the friendship year, the two parties and governments will further promote exchanges in all fields, including politics, economy and culture, further deepen the bonds of friendship and unity, and step up cooperation in the joint efforts to safeguard regional and global peace and stability, thus writing a new chapter in DPRK-China relations, Kim said. PTI KJV ZH AKJ ZH ZH