N. Korea stress 'blood bond' with China as it marks Beijing's Korean War entry

SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Sunday stressed the special "blood bond" that exists with China as it marks the 65th anniversary of Beijing's entry into the Korean War (1950-53). In an article carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) Pyongyang said the ties that were forged during the anti-Japanese struggle in the first half of the 20th century between the two countries were revealed again during the three-year conflict. Pyongyang has maintained that its communist forces, aligned with Chinese forces under Mao Zedong, played a critical role in combating Japanese imperialism. The article praised Mao and other Chinese notables who took part in the Korean War, as well as several North Koreans, as heroes that defeated the imperialist allies led by the United States. It then said that senior party, military and government officials visited the tower commemorating the North Korea-China friendship and laid flowers there to mark the anniversary. The KCNA report follows after Liu Yunshan, the fifth highest ranking official within the Chinese Communist Party, visited North Korea earlier in the month to mark the 70th anniversary of the country's ruling Workers' Party of Korea. This can be seen as part of an ongoing effort by the North to improve ties with China. Relations between Pyongyang and one of its few remaining supporters has been strained after the country detonated its third nuclear device in early 2013, despite warnings issued by China. More recently the execution of Jang Song-thaek, the uncle by marriage of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and a pro-Chinese figure, soured relations. yonngong@yna.co.kr (END)