North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged messages Monday in which Kim stressed unity and stronger cooperation against hostile forces, in what is seen as a move to bolster their traditional alliance in the face of intensifying tension between China and the US, as well as stalled nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington.

The North’s state-run Korea Central News Agency on Tuesday reported on the exchange of messages between the heads of the two countries. The purpose of Kim’s message was to notify Xi of the results of the eighth congress of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, held in January.

The times call for “intensifying the strategic communications between the two parties on the basis of deep comradeship,” Kim’s message said.

Kim emphasized the need to “strengthen the unity and cooperation between the two parties and two countries to cope with the hostile forces’ all-round challenges and obstructive moves,” the KCNA said.

In the message, Kim informed Xi of details of the decisions made at the party congress, including a “policy stand on the bolstering of defense capabilities of the country, the inter-Korean relations and the DPRK-US relations.” DPRK stands for the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Kim also said cooperation between the two countries would grow stronger, “as required by the times and in conformity with the desires, wishes and core interests” of both sides.

The messages were exchanged at a meeting in Beijing between Song Tao, head of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and Ri Ryong-nam, North Korea’s new ambassador to China.

Xi, in his message to Kim, described the bilateral relationship as a “valuable asset” and said Beijing would work to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, according to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency.

The remarks come after the US and China held a face-to-face meeting in Alaska last week, the first high-level talks since US President Joe Biden took office. The two-day meetings, which covered an array of contentious issues, intensified into a war of words as officials exchanged sharp rebukes.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken blasted China’s human rights violations and economic coercion. In response, Yang Jiechi, China’s top foreign policy official, accused Washington of meddling in China’s internal affairs and attacked the US’ own record on human rights.

The Alaska meeting comes after Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s visit to Tokyo and Seoul earlier last week, where Washington stressed stronger alliances with its East Asian allies to counter China’s aggression as well as tackle North Korea’s nuclear issue.

Observers view the latest exchange of messages as an attempt by Pyongyang and Beijing to solidify their ties in response to the expected US engagement with Asian allies to pressure them.

“The exchange of letters could be seen as efforts by North Korea and China to cooperate on their policy toward the US and South Korea, as the latest visit by the US secretaries of State and Defense to Japan and Korea signal active coordination among the three countries in dealing with Beijing and Pyongyang,” said Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Sejong Institute’s Center for North Korean Studies.

Cheong predicted that economic and people-to-people exchanges -- which ceased due to the border lockdown stemming from COVID-19 -- would gradually resume, while China’s role in reviving talks between the two Koreas and talks between Pyongyang and Washington could increase.

While in Seoul, Blinken also acknowledged China’s “critical role” in persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons, given its “tremendous” influence on Pyongyang as its main trading partner and diplomatic ally.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)