China’s top legislator assured Kim of Beijing's commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, which he said had stood the test of time to become their common value, Chinese state news agency Xinhua said.
"In this new situation, China stands ready to advance Chinese-Korean relations alongside North Korea," Zhao was quoted as saying.
The Chinese official underscored the importance of "strategic and long-term" Chinese-Korean cooperation, saying that Beijing wanted their "bilateral, pragmatic, mutually beneficial relationship to achieve new results."
Kim echoed this sentiment, according to Xinhua, saying that Pyongyang wanted to "open a new chapter" in their relationship, strengthening ties across different spheres and exchanging experience in good governance.