China's ruling Communist Party continues to hold talks and maintain contacts with its North Korean counterpart, a senior official said Saturday, describing the two countries friendship as important for regional stability.
While the United States and its allies, and many people in China, believe Beijing should do more to rein in Pyongyang, the acceleration of North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities has coincided with a near-total breakdown of high-level diplomacy between the two.
China, Pyongyang's sole major ally, has said it will strictly enforce U.N. Security Council sanctions banning imports of coal, textiles and seafood, while cutting off oil shipments to the North. China accounts for more than 90 percent of world trade with the isolated country.