North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has voiced his "willingness" to develop relations between Pyongyang and Beijing in his message to Chinese President Xi Jinping, the North's state media said Friday.

The North's leader delivered such remarks in a congratulatory message to Xi on Thursday to mark the 95th anniversary of the founding of China's communist party, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

"We have a willingness to develop together with the Chinese comrades the DPRK-China friendship with long historical roots as required by the new century ... and defend peace and security in Northeast Asia," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA.

The DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.

The move is seen as part of the North's efforts to mend strained ties with China ahead of their key anniversary this month.

North Korea and China will mark the 55th anniversary of the signing of a military treaty on July 11 amid the possibility that Beijing may send a high-ranking official to Pyongyang in return for the latest visit by the North's party official Ri Su-yong to China.

Also on July 27, North Korea will mark the 63rd anniversary of what it claims is its victory in the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a truce. China fought alongside the North against South Korea, the United States and the U.N. forces.

Ri, a vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party, made a rare visit to China in late May in an apparent bid to improve frayed ties with Beijing following Pyongyang's nuclear tests.

The North's official defended the country's simultaneous pursuit of nuclear and economic development during his talks with Xi.

Lee Ki-hyun, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said that even if China sends its delegation to the North in July, it won't be easy to expect a major shift in their bilateral ties due to Pyongyang's nuke aspirations.

On Thursday, Kim met with the Cuban delegation led by Salvador Antonio Valdes Mesa, vice-president of the Council of the State of Cuba, who visited Pyongyang as a special envoy of Cuba's President Raul Castro, according to the KCNA.

He was quoted as saying by the report that friendly relations between the two countries would grow "stronger" in the future.

Kim's move to push for active diplomacy with the country's traditional allies came as he was elected the chairman of the newly created state apparatus called the State Affairs Commission at the assembly on Wednesday.

The new organ replaced the National Defense Commission, which mainly focused on defense and security-related affairs.

But Seoul's unification ministry said that the role of the new commission was expanded to other sectors, including unification, diplomacy and the economy.

"Kim appears to seek to show that he is the leader of a normal country by actively pushing for diplomacy," said Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University. (Yonhap)