Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a reply message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that China wants to protect and develop friendly relations with Pyongyang amid historic changes in the world in order to contribute to the stability and prosperity of the region and the world, the North Korean Central Telegraph Agency (CNTAK) reported.

Earlier, Kim Jong-un sent a congratulatory message to Chinese President Xi Jinping on his re-election as general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China at the 20th Communist Party of China Congress in October.

Xi Jinping thanked Kim Jong-un for his congratulations and said it demonstrates that the North Korean leader, Party and people of North Korea are friendly to China and focused on developing Sino-Korean relations.

He added that unprecedented changes are now taking place in the world, history and era and China would like to strengthen relations with North Korea against this backdrop.