North Korean leader Kim pledges deepened cooperation with China amid rising Russian ties.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has engaged in high-level talks with Wang Huning, China's fourth-highest-ranking official, pledging to significantly deepen diplomatic, law enforcement, and military cooperation with Beijing. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Wang arrived in Pyongyang Wednesday as head of a senior Chinese delegation ahead of Thursday's summit.

This meeting marks the latest development following President Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea last June, his first trip in seven years. While Pyongyang has recently moved closer to Moscow—signing a strategic defense agreement that deployed thousands of North Korean troops to fight in Russia's war in Ukraine—China remains North Korea's largest economic partner. The current series of meetings is viewed as Beijing's effort to reinforce its influence over its traditional ally amidst growing ties with Russia.

Kim and Wang agreed to implement the comprehensive accord reached during Xi's visit, where state media described a "far-reaching blueprint" for strengthening what they called "the most powerful and strategic relations." At that earlier summit, President Xi reportedly pushed for closer integration across diplomatic, law enforcement, and military fronts. In Wednesday's discussion, Kim characterized the shared policy as a commitment to more vigorously develop traditional friendly relations. Wang reaffirmed China's unwavering support for North Korea's socialist cause under General Secretary Kim Jong Un.

During the delegation's itinerary, the Chinese team toured a memorial dedicated to soldiers who died in the Korean War, attended a Workers' Party cadre training school, and visited the mausoleum preserving the bodies of founding father Kim Il Sung and his son, Kim Jong Il. Earlier in the visit, Wang met with Jo Yong Won, a top official in North Korea's Workers' Party, where he reiterated Beijing's resolve to execute the agreements finalized last month between Xi and Kim.