China's Xi vows 'unwavering' ties with N. Korea ahead of Pyongyang visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wave from an open top limousine as they travel along a street in Pyongyang, June 20, 2019. Xinhua-Yonhap

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for stronger ties and deeper strategic communication with North Korea, declaring relations between the two nations are entering a new chapter, ahead of his state visit to Pyongyang on Monday.

"Relations between the two countries stand at a new historical starting point, facing new development opportunities and shouldering new missions of the times," Xi wrote in a piece carried Monday on the front page of the Rodong Simun, the official newspaper of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

The message was released as Xi was set to arrive in North Korea later in the day on a two-day state visit, marking his first trip to Pyongyang in nearly seven years.

He said both sides should "deepen strategic communication and firmly steer China-DPRK relations in the right direction," calling for the two to uphold their tradition of high-level exchanges and maintain "close contacts like relatives." DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.

Recalling his six previous meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Xi said the relationship would remain "unwavering" no matter how times or global circumstances change.

"China stands ready to work with the DPRK to steer bilateral relations from a strategic perspective, keep China-DPRK relations abreast of the times and achieve greater development of the relationship," he wrote.

He also called for joint efforts to uphold "the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law," and said both sides should "jointly promote an equal and orderly multipolarization of the world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization."

Safeguarding peace and stability in the region, Xi added, was a shared aspiration of both people, a goal the two sides must pursue together.