Kim said that in the face of hostile foreign forces, China-DPRK relations are of utmost importance, while Xi Jinping promised to “push cooperation to a new stage.”

The leaders of North Korea and China exchanged information on the 60th anniversary of the signing of the “China-North Korea Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance,” and pledged to strengthen cooperation.

According to the North Korean Central News Agency, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stated in a message to China’s Xi Jinping on Sunday that their relationship is crucial in the face of hostile foreign forces, and Xi Jinping promised to “push cooperation to a new stage”.

Since the two sides signed the treaty in 1961, China has been North Korea’s only major ally.

At the same time, international sanctions imposed on Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs have made it more dependent on Beijing’s trade and other support than ever before.

“Despite the unprecedented complexity of the international situation in recent years, the comrade trust and belligerent friendship between North Korea and China have grown stronger,” Kim Jong Il said in his message. The North Korean Central News Agency reported using the initials of North Korea’s official name.

The treaty is defending socialism and peace in Asia. “Now hostile forces are becoming more desperate in challenging and obstructing actions,” King said.

Xi Jinping said in the congratulatory message that he plans to “steadily push the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries to a new level” by strengthening communication with Kim Jong Un, and bring greater happiness to the two countries and their peoples, KCNA said.

The Sino-DPRK Treaty is valid for 20 years and was renewed in 1981 and 2001.

NK News, a website that monitors North Korea, said on Sunday that it expects Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Il to extend the treaty for another 20 years.