THE leaders of China and North Korea marked the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations yesterday by exchanging messages that expressed hopes for stronger ties.

In a message sent to Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that his government will “steadily strive to consolidate and develop the friendly and co-operative relations” between the two countries, according to North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

President Xi, in his message to Mr Kim, said that China is ready to jointly promote “the stable and further advance of the socialist cause in the two countries,” KCNA said.

Since China and North Korea established diplomatic ties on October 6 1949, their relationship has often been described as being “as close as lips and teeth.”

China, North Korea’s biggest trading partner and main aid provider, has been accused by the United States of avoiding fully implementing United Nations sanctions on North Korea and sending clandestine aid shipments to help its impoverished neighbour stay afloat.

North Korea is locked in confrontations with the US, South Korea and their partners over continued military exercises in the region. 

Mr Kim has said that he has been forced to expand his country’s military capabilities to cope with US-led security threats.