China envoy says relations with N.K. 'unshakeable' regardless of int'l situation

SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- Chinese Ambassador to North Korea Li Jinjun has said that the relations between the two countries are "unshakable" regardless of changes in the international situation, the North's state media reported.

Li made the remarks during a reception in Pyongyang on Thursday to mark the 70th founding anniversary of the Chinese government, saying that the five summits between Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un demonstrated the "vitality" and "invincibility" of the friendship between the two countries.

"He affirmed that the stand of the Chinese party and government to consolidate and develop the China-DPRK relations is unshakable, no matter the change of international situation, and the friendly feelings of the Chinese people toward the Korean people will never change," the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Pak Pong-ju, a vice chairman of the North's State Affairs Commission who was present at the event, said the two countries' friendship is a "strategic option," adding that the North's consistent stance is to consolidate the ties between the two sides, according to the KCNA.

Pyongyang and Beijing have been boasting of their strong relations in recent months, with their leaders holding five summit talks since March last year.

Xi's visit to Pyongyang in June marked the first trip by a Chinese head of state to North Korea in 14 years.

A recent Pyongyang trip by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi raised speculation that the two leaders could have yet another summit in the near future.

scaaet@yna.co.kr
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