North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a congratulatory message to Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 105th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, vowing to steadily expand bilateral ties and describing their recent summit in Pyongyang as a milestone for deepening friendship and trust, according to state-run KCNA. In the message, Kim called the relationship between the two countries a shared asset of their peoples, reflecting Pyongyang’s commitment to strengthening bonds with its largest economic partner. China remains North Korea’s dominant trade ally, accounting for nearly 98 percent of its foreign commerce in 2024, even as Pyongyang has recently forged closer military ties with Russia. The summit, Xi’s first visit to North Korea in nearly seven years, produced a broad joint blueprint for enhanced cooperation.