Key facts
- North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui sent a congratulatory message to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
- The message was sent on Thursday to mark the 77th anniversary of China's founding.
- Choe called for strengthening bilateral ties and traditional friendship.
- The message referenced a June summit between Kim Jong-un and Xi Jinping.
- Kim Jong-un also sent a congratulatory message to Xi Jinping.
North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has called for efforts to further strengthen bilateral ties and traditional friendship with China in a congratulatory message to her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, Pyongyang's state media reported Friday. Choe sent the message to Wang on Thursday marking the 77th anniversary of China's founding, praising the country's achievements over the past seven decades, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Choe said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed their "steadfast will" to build a better future for their peoples together during their summit talks in Pyongyang in June. The minister also expressed a commitment to working together to fully implement important agreements reached by the leaders and further develop bilateral friendly relations to a "higher stage." Earlier, Kim sent a congratulatory message to Xi on the anniversary and expressed his willingness to further develop relations and safeguard their common interests, the KCNA reported Thursday.