China FM calls for closer ties with North Korea in Kim meeting

China and North Korea should "enhance coordination" on international and regional issues, Beijing's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during talks on Friday, according to Chinese state media.

Wang is on a two-day trip to the diplomatically isolated nuclear state -- his first visit since 2019 -- to step up ties between the East Asian neighbours following their resumption of transport links halted since the Covid-19 pandemic.

China is North Korea's top trading partner and a vital source of diplomatic, economic and political support.

"China and North Korea should, while firmly safeguarding their respective sovereignty, security and development interests, further enhance communication and coordination in major international and regional affairs," Wang said during a meeting with Kim in Pyongyang on Friday, Xinhua reported.

"China is willing to work with North Korea to... maintain close communication and interaction, promote practical cooperation, and infuse new contemporary meaning into the traditional friendship between China and North Korea," Wang said.

Wang's visit comes as the administration of US President Donald Trump mounts a push to revive high-level talks with Pyongyang, eyeing a potential summit this year, potentially during Trump's visit to Beijing in May.