India, June 9 -- China's President Xi Jinping, on a rare visit to long-term ally North Korea, on Monday pledged Beijing's "unwavering" support to its leader Kim Jong Un. Xi's comments during his two-day visit came in the backdrop of Kim deepening ties with Russia in recent years, much to China's unease.

This is the Chinese president's first trip to North Korea since 2019 and also his first foreign visit this year.

"No matter how the international situation changes, the firm stance of the Chinese [Communist] Party and government in highly valuing the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] will not change," Xi told Kim, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

"The unwavering suppo...