Xi, Putin pledge stronger ties with North Korea on founding anniversary
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Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed their countries’ close ties with North Korea in messages marking the 78th anniversary of the country’s founding, North Korean state media (KCNA) reported on Sept. 9.
Xi reportedly told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that Beijing remained committed to developing bilateral relations and strengthening strategic coordination between the two countries, according to KCNA.
In a separate message, Putin pledged continued close cooperation with Pyongyang under their "comprehensive strategic partnership." He said deeper ties would support regional security and the emergence of a multipolar world order.
Russia and North Korea have rapidly expanded military ties since 2023, formalizing their relationship in a 2024 strategic partnership treaty that includes a mutual defense provision.
Pyongyang has supplied Moscow with ballistic missiles and artillery ammunition for its war against Ukraine, according to Ukrainian and Western officials, and sent an estimated 14,000 troops to fight alongside Russian forces in Kursk Oblast. More than 6,000 of those soldiers have been killed, according to South Korean, Ukrainian, and Western officials.
The messages appeared on the front page of Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party. North Korea was established on Sept. 9, 1948.
