North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping sit down for a conversation during a stroll at a guesthouse in Pyongyang, June 22, 2019, during Xi's visit to North Korea. North Korea is looking to restart economic cooperation with China this year. Korea Times file

North Korea on Wednesday briefly reported on Chinese President Xi Jinping's sending of a New Year's greeting to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un without disclosing other details in yet another sign of Pyongyang's strained ties with Beijing.

The move contrasted with North Korea's latest detailed media reports that Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin have exchanged New Year's messages amid growing military cooperation between the two nations.

The Korean Central News Agency reported Wednesday that heads of state or political leaders from several countries have recently sent New Year's greetings to Kim, briefly citing Xi as one of such figures.

There was also no report by the North's state media on whether the North's leader has delivered his message for the new year to Xi.

Putin and Kim exchanged New Year's letters last month, vowing to further bolster bilateral cooperation under a major defense treaty signed in June. The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper targeting domestic readers, carried details of their messages on the front and second pages.

North Korea's relations with China, the North's traditional ally and main economic benefactor, have cooled in contrast to Pyongyang's deepening military cooperation with Moscow.

Last year marked the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the North and China, but the two nations skipped major celebrative events. (Yonhap)