Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says strengthening ties with North Korea is an unwavering priority in the face of existing hegemony and unilateralism.

In talks with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui on Sunday, Wang emphasized that Beijing and Pyongyang are “neighbors linked by mountains and rivers” and stressed that the friendship cultivated by generations of leaders from both countries is a “shared and valuable asset,” China’s Xinhua news agency reported on Monday .

According to Wang, the two sides should implement the consensus reached at the “historic” meeting held earlier this month by Chinese leaders Xi Jinping and North Korean leaders Kim Jong-un to strengthen strategic communication and expand practical cooperation to “improve the well-being of their peoples” and promote regional peace, as well as counter US-led hegemony and unilateralism.

“ China is willing to strengthen coordination and collaboration with North Korea on regional and international affairs, oppose all forms of hegemony, and protect our shared interests, international fairness and justice ,” Wang told Choe, according to a statement from China’s Foreign Ministry.

For his part, Choe, whose visit ends on Tuesday, described the recent summit between Xi and Kim as a “strategic boost” and expressed Pyongyang’s willingness to implement their consensus, increase friendly exchanges, and elevate bilateral cooperation “to a new level.”

He also stated that North Korea will work with China to resist “unilateralism and power politics” and move toward a “more just” international order.

North Korea’s state news agency KCNA emphasized on Monday that both sides reached “full consensus” in their discussions on international and regional issues.

Relations between China and North Korea are experiencing a period of reassurance following Kim’s visit to Beijing in early September, where he attended events marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Asia and met with Xi.

The two leaders then emphasized that bilateral cooperation will continue, “despite changes in the international situation.”

Beijing remains Pyongyang’s main political ally and economic partner, amid international sanctions against North Korea and its growing military cooperation with Russia. China maintains its influence through trade, investment, and humanitarian assistance, all crucial to North Korea’s economic stability.