N Korea-China ties 'unbreakable'
2009-11-25 22:28
Beijing - North Korea's leader Kim Jong Il says ties with China are "unbreakable" and has called for increased co-operation between the communist nations amid international pressure on Pyongyang to return to nuclear disarmament talks.
Kim made the comments during a meeting on Wednesday in the North Korean capital with Chinese Defence Minister Liang Guanglie, China's official Xinhua News Agency said.
Liang is the latest high-level Chinese official to visit North Korea as the two communist nations mark 60 years of co-operation. China, which backed North Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War, is its main source of economic aid and diplomatic support.
Kim called their friendship "a treasure inherited from the older generations", and said it "had stood the test of history and was unbreakable", according to Xinhua.
He said the two sides should continue to "boost exchange and co-operation".
Liang said the Chinese government was "unshakable" in its commitment to develop co-operation between the two nations.
Liang's visit comes amid renewed efforts to draw North Korea back to international negotiations on dismantling the regime's nuclear programme.
North Korea, which conducted an underground nuclear test, and test-fired a series of missiles in May, abandoned the talks earlier this year.
President Barack Obama announced in Seoul last week that he would send a special envoy to Pyongyang on December 8 to discuss restarting the six-nation talks hosted by China and also involving Japan, South Korea and Russia.
Kim has said Pyongyang may consider rejoining the talks depending on the outcome of direct talks with the US.
- SAPA