PYONGYANG — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed the enduring "kindred" relationship between North Korea and China during his visit to the Friendship Tower in Pyongyang, which commemorates Chinese soldiers who fought in the Korean War, state media reported on Saturday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim's visit and tribute come just before the 71st anniversary of the armistice that concluded the Korean War, a conflict that ended with a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty. His remarks underscored a commitment to the historical alliance with China, despite recent indications of North Korea’s increasing diplomatic pivot towards Russia, evidenced by a new comprehensive partnership with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month.
This reaffirmation of ties with China occurred as North Korea's state newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, notably omitted its usual commemoration of the bilateral friendship treaty's anniversary earlier in the month. Kim’s activities also included visits to local war cemeteries, where he emphasized the importance of defending the ideological and social systems established by previous generations, suggesting a continuity of his regime's militaristic and nationalistic policies.