BEIJING, Sept 12 — China said today it was seeking to deepen cooperation with North Korea in "various fields”, as leader Kim Jong-un arrived in Russia on his first trip overseas in four years.

"China-North Korea relations are developing well,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular briefing.

"The two sides are implementing the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries,” Mao said.

They are "deepening exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields, and pushing for bilateral relations to continue to achieve even greater development”, she added.

Kim arrived in Russia today, Russian state news agency Ria Novosti reported.

He is set to meet President Vladimir Putin at an unspecified location in Russia’s Far East region later this week, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

The visit is Kim’s first abroad since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mao said today she had "no information to provide” when asked whether Kim might visit China in the coming months.

Beijing is North Korea’s most important ally and economic benefactor, their relationship forged in the bloodshed of the Korean War in the 1950s. — AFP