North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a verbal message to Chinese President Xi Jinping on China’s success in dealing with the coronavirus, the official North Korean news agency reports.

“Saying that he was pleased over the successes made in China as over his own, Kim Jong Un wished Xi Jinping good health, expressing conviction that the Chinese party and people would cement the successes made so far and steadily expand them and thus win a final victory under the wise guidance of Xi Jinping,” said the report.

The agency added that the relations between Pyongyang and Beijing were “firmly consolidated”.