A pro-North Korea newspaper stressed Wednesday that the recent exchange of verbal messages between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping signals an important step toward bolstering bilateral cooperation.

"North Korea and China reaffirmed their traditionally friendly relations and agreed on their stance on global and regional politics," the Choson Sinbo, a pro-North Korea newspaper in Japan, said.

The paper stressed that their exchange of friendly messages comes after Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's visit to Seoul and Tokyo, and Blinken's ministerial meeting with China in Alaska last week.

"The meeting shows the current state of US-China relations, which has turned from a simple competition to a confrontation of ideology and system," it said.

Earlier, state media said Kim sent a verbal message to Xi calling for stronger strategic communication and unity with China to address "hostile forces." Xi told Kim that Beijing will make efforts for the solid development of relations with Pyongyang in a verbal message.

The latest exchange of messages appears aimed at strengthening relations between the allies amid Beijing's deepening rivalry with the United States and stalled denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington. (Yonhap)