The Chinese embassy in Pyongyang held a banquet to commemorate the 64th anniversary of the signing of the two countries’ mutual defense treaty Wednesday, with a higher-ranking North Korean official in attendance than last year — a sign that ties between the two countries may be warming.

“Present there on invitation were Kang Yun Sok, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly [SPA] of the DPRK, Mun Song Hyok, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Pak Myong Ho, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Ri Chang Sik, vice-minister of Education, and officials