Saadet Gokce
11 July 2026•Update: 11 July 2026
Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Saturday urged North Korea to enhance "strategic coordination and cooperation" with Beijing.
The remarks came during a meeting where Li hosted North Korean Premier Pak Thae Song in Beijing, according to state-run news agency Xinhua.
Beijing is ready to "continue to uphold the spirit of the China-DPRK (North Korea) Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, intensify high-level exchanges, consolidate political mutual trust and expand practical cooperation," Li said.
Pak is in Beijing on a three-day official visit to China as the two neighbors commemorate the 65th anniversary of the treaty, which includes a defense provision.
The treaty was signed on July 11, 1961.
"China is ready to align development strategies with the DPRK (North Korea), steadily expand economic and trade exchanges, promote connectivity, deepen cooperation in people's livelihood sectors including healthcare and education, and improve the well-being of the two peoples," Li said.
As the international landscape is undergoing "profound and complex" changes, Beijing and Pyongyang should strengthen "strategic coordination and cooperation, and jointly safeguard their legitimate rights and interests as well as international fairness and justice," Li noted.
Pak expressed Pyongyang's support to China in safeguarding its "core interests."
North Korea is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges, expand exchanges and cooperation in economy and trade, science and technology, and people-to-people and cultural sectors, and enhance international coordination, he added.
China is the main trading partner of North Korea, which is one of the world's most sanctioned countries due to its nuclear program.
