NEW DELHI: China and Russia have reaffirmed their strategic partnerships with North Korea as the country marked its 78th founding anniversary, highlighting the deepening diplomatic alignment between Pyongyang, Beijing and Moscow.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin sent congratulatory messages to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on the occasion. Xi expressed his commitment to strengthening strategic guidance and advancing relations with Pyongyang, describing closer cooperation as a consistent policy of the Chinese government.

Putin similarly pledged to continue close cooperation with Kim Jong Un and deepen the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership. He said the relationship contributes to regional security and the development of what Russia describes as a more equitable multipolar world order.

The messages come as Russia-North Korea ties have expanded significantly, particularly since the outbreak of the Ukraine war. Moscow and Pyongyang have strengthened military, economic and political cooperation, while the two countries recently opened their first road bridge across their shared border, further expanding connectivity and trade.

China, meanwhile, continues to maintain its longstanding relationship with North Korea, although Pyongyang's increasingly close partnership with Moscow has added a new dimension to the regional strategic landscape. The latest messages from Xi and Putin underline the importance both countries place on maintaining close ties with Kim's government.

The renewed expressions of support come amid heightened security tensions in East Asia, including concerns over North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes and growing strategic competition between the United States and China.