According to Pyongyang's foreign ministry, North Korea's senior envoy to Beijing met with China's assistant foreign minister last week to discuss measures to develop bilateral ties and issues of mutual concern.

Ambassador Ri Ryong-nam and Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao "exchanged in-depth perspectives regarding matters of mutual interest" during Friday's meetings, the ministry said, and "agreed to continue increasing strategic and tactical cooperation down the road."

Officials from the North Korean Embassy in Beijing and China's foreign ministry also attended the meeting.

It was the latest in a series of encounters between Pyongyang and Beijing, as the two nations have underlined their strong ties in the face of stalled nuclear talks and intensifying Sino-US antagonism.

Ri paid a courtesy call on Yang Jiechi, the foreign affairs chief of the Chinese Communist Party, late last month, while North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong-ho met with Chinese Ambassador to North Korea Li Jinjun on Friday.