A series of high-profile diplomatic meetings between North Korea and China in recent days suggests the two countries will focus more on bilateral ties in the new year, experts say, after being overshadowed by Pyongyang’s push to bolster cooperation with Russia in 2023.

North Korea’s vice foreign minister Pak Myong Ho met with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing for the first time in four years on Friday, and in a brief report, DPRK state media said that the two sides touched on “strategic cooperation” ahead of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2024.