WorldSEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea congratulated China on its 19th Communist Party Congress on Wednesday amid increasingly frayed relationships between the traditional allies, as China tightens sanctions over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program. The central committee of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party of Korea said that China had made “great progress in accomplishing the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics” under the correct guidance of the Communist Party. REUTERS/Aly Song“We are greatly pleased over this,” the party central committee said in the message carried by the official KCNA news agency, adding that it “sincerely wished” the China congress “satisfactory success”. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that many foreign political parties, organizations and dignitaries had sent their congratulations, including the Workers’ Party of Korea. “This all shows that the international community is paying close attention to the 19th Party Congress.

Source: Sunday Times October 18, 2017 08:37 UTC