North Korea’s military seeks to conduct “coordinated operations” with Chinese armed forces to maintain regional stability, the DPRK’s defense minister said in a message to his Chinese counterpart on Monday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The message from Ri Yong Gil comes amid expectations that North Korea will soon conduct its first underground nuclear test in five years and as observers speculate how Beijing may influence Pyongyang’s decision to move forward.