China's top diplomat meets visiting N.K. party secretary

On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with a senior North Korean official, Kim Song-nam, and his delegation in Beijing. Wang emphasized China's dedication to strengthening bilateral relations, according to the International Department of the Communist Party of China's central committee, which shared a post on the party's WeChat account.

The North Korean delegation arrived in Beijing on Tuesday amid efforts to bolster cooperation between the two nations. Relations had reportedly weakened following a closer alignment between Russia and North Korea concerning the war in Ukraine. During their meeting, Wang pointed out that Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had agreed on several crucial points to enhance bilateral relations during Xi's visit to Pyongyang in June.

Wang stressed China's commitment to "resolutely" implement those consensuses, as reported by the party's WeChat post.

The top Chinese diplomat expressed optimism that bilateral ties would continue to improve, according to the post.