China, North Korea vow to deepen ties ‘at all levels’, no let-up in missile tests by Pyongyang
- Pledge with China comes as North Korea carries out back-to-back missile tests within space of a week and pursues closer ties with Russia
- Beijing and Pyongyang aim to deepen ‘traditional friendship’, Chinese foreign ministry says, after vice-minister Sun Weidong meets Korean counterpart
Days after the pledge with its traditional ally, the North reportedly carried out its second missile test within a week – in a further show of defiance against the United States and its regional allies, particularly South Korea.
North Korea fired several cruise missiles from its east coast on Sunday, Seoul-based news agency Yonhap reported, citing the South Korean military.
While China has remained low key in its response to North Korea’s latest weapons developments and its growing alignment with Russia, Bejing’s ties with both allies are under close international scrutiny.
The North’s latest tests came two days after Chinese foreign vice-minister Sun Weidong met his North Korean counterpart Pak Myong-ho in Pyongyang, in what was their second meeting in just over a month.
