By Kim Young-jin
Kim Yong-nam, North Korea’s number two leader, vowed Wednesday to deepen military ties with Beijing, less than a week after the heads of the two countries agreed to upgrade their bilateral relationship, China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported.
According to the report, Kim, presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, made the pledge to a delegation from the People’s Liberation Army as he highlighted the “traditional DPRK-China friendship.”
"In the future, North Korea will deepen cooperation with China in all areas, and also make efforts to strengthen cooperation between our two militaries," he said.
Zhang Youxia, head of the Chinese delegation, told Kim that the Shenyang Military Region, which adjoins the North, will make active efforts to further develop bilateral military exchanges and cooperation, according to the agency.
The military talks followed on the heels of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s secretive five-day trip to China amid high regional tension over the sinking of a South Korean warship.
Chinese media reported that President Hu Jintao, during a summit with Kim on Friday, pledged to make joint efforts to upgrade bilateral ties, while Kim expressed his willingness to rejoin talks on Pyongyang’s denuclearization.
The United States and South Korea insist on the North taking clear steps towards denuclearization before any resumption of the six-party talks, which also include Japan and Russia. China is the host of the forum.
Beijing on Wednesday launched live-fire naval exercises in the West Sea ahead of similar joint exercises by Washington and Seoul slated to begin Sept. 5.
The joint U.S.-South Korea maneuvers are the latest show of force by the allies against the North, which they blame for sinking the warship Cheonan _ killing 46 sailors _ on March 26. Pyongyang denies the claim.
China, which helped block Seoul’s campaign to censure Pyongyang for the sinking, has expressed its opposition to the recent joint war games, saying exercises near the disputed inter-Korean maritime border ratchet up regional tension.
Kim Yong Chun, vice-chairman of the North’s powerful National Defense Commission and minister of the People's Armed Forces, met the delegation Tuesday, the Xinhua report said. The group arrived in Pyongyang on Aug. 25.