North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui has held talks with new Chinese Ambassador to North Korea Wang Yajun before going fishing with him and welcoming him at a reception, the two countries said Tuesday.
Wang, who arrived in North Korea in late March, told Choe on Monday that China is willing to work with the North to implement the "important consensus" the two countries' leaders have reached, strengthen strategic coordination and promote regional peace and stability, the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang said.
Choe and Wang "expressed their steadfast stand to further develop the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation" between the two countries, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said.
The foreign minister also noted that Monday marked the fifth anniversary of a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the northeastern Chinese port city of Dalian and hailed the continued deepening and development of bilateral relations, according to the embassy.
Wang is believed to be the first foreign diplomat to be accepted by Pyongyang since it implemented strict border controls in January 2020 to prevent COVID-19 infections. He filled the post vacated by his predecessor about 15 months ago.
China is North Korea's closest and most influential ally in economic terms.
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