Beijing-Pyongyang ties are unlikely to be affected by the power transition in North Korea, and China will continue to help North Korea stabilize its economy, analysts said yesterday, after China expressed support for Pyongyang's new leadership.

Beijing yesterday stressed the importance of cooperative relations between the two countries and will cement ties when Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong-il's youngest son and successor, takes over as the country's top leader.

Since 2000, Kim Jong-il had visited China seven times, both officially and unofficially. The latest visit took place from May 20 to 26 this year, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Cui Zhiying, a professor with Tongji University, told the Global Times that Pyongyang and Beijing have traditionally had good relations over the past decades, and the friendly ties are unlikely to be affected by the power transition in the North.

"Bilateral ties have been improving in the past two years, mostly because the North's economy has been hurt by sanctions and it was isolated by other powers in the world," Cui said, adding that ties, however, were hurt by two nuclear tests Pyongyang conducted in 2006 and 2009.

"Despite the adverse impacts of Western sanctions, China will continue to help the North in economic development," Cui said.

Liu Ming, a researcher with the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that China will keep watching the developments of Pyongyang's power transition and policies formulated by the new leadership in North Korea.

"A smooth transition of power in North Korea serves the interests of both China and the region. Turbulence in the country will lead to the outpouring of refugees to China and pose threats to the management of nuclear devices."

"It may also prompt South Korea and the US to interfere in the situation, which will generate conflicts between China and the two countries," Liu said.

"In the past two years, China and North Korea forged even closer contacts through the two ruling parties, military, local and diplomatic channels. We should stick to these channels to maintain exchanges with Pyongyang," Liu added.

Bilateral trade between the two sides hit $3.1 billion in the first seven months of 2011, an 87 percent increase from the same period last year, according to Chinese customs statistics. Growth was propelled by a 169.2 percent jump in the value of Chinese imports. 

Also yesterday, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met with Pak Myong-ho, charge d'affaires of the North Korean embassy in Beijing, Xinhua reported.

Yang expressed the belief that the North Korean people would remain united as one under the leadership of the Workers Party of Korea and comrade Kim Jong-un, achieve new progress in socialist construction and make new contributions to realizing sustainable peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Yang Jingjie and agencies contributed to this story