A key official of the Chinese Communist Party in charge of political relations with North Korea has said that he wants to improve ties with Pyongyang to a "new level," in the latest sign of warmer relations between the allies.
 

Song Tao, who was recently appointed head of the Chinese Communist Party's international department, made the remarks Monday during a meeting with North Korea's Ambassador to China Ji Jae-ryong in Beijing, according to the Chinese Communist Party's website.
  

Song was believed to have succeeded Wang Jiarui last month. Wang had held the post over the last 12 years and played a key role when leaders of the two nations held summits.
  

"Party-to-party exchanges played an important role in the development of China-North Korea relations," Song told Ji, according to a statement posted on the party's website.
  

Song said he is "willing to promote China-North Korea relations to a new level."
  

Ji told Song that, "The North Korea-China traditional friendship is a choice of history and a choice of strategy."
  

North Korea and China should work together to "inherit the traditional friendship from generation to generation," Ji said.
  

The alliance between North Korea and China has often been described as being "forged in blood," as China fought alongside the North in the 1950-53 Korean War. However, political ties between the allies were strained following North Korea's third nuclear test in early 2013.
  

There have been signs of improvement since Liu Yunshan, the Chinese Communist Party's fifth-ranked official, visited Pyongyang in October and held talks with North Korea's young leader Kim Jong-un. 
  

Liu was accompanied by Song during his visit to Pyongyang.
  

Despite signs of warming ties, questions still remain about how China can do more to reign in North Korea's unruly behavior and persuade the North to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions. (Yonhap)