North Korean foreign minister Choe Son Hui held talks with Chinese vice foreign minister Sun Weidong on Friday, whose delegation is visiting the DPRK as Beijing and Pyongyang gear up to mark the 75th anniversary of their bilateral relations this year.

The two officials expressed their willingness "to further strengthen tactical cooperation and mutual assistance in safeguarding common interests of the DPRK and China, marking the Year of Sino-DPRK friendship,” the North Korean party daily Rodong Sinmun reported on Saturday.