SEOUL-- North Korea has lambasted the United States for its recently unveiled Indo-Pacific strategy, calling it a "document of confrontation" to isolate China, its foreign ministry said Monday.

Earlier this month, the White House released a document on its strategy on the region, highlighting a focus on marshaling "collective capacity" from a network of regional allies and partners amid an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry.

In a post on its foreign ministry's website, the North criticized the report, saying that it is the U.S.' "intention to refurbish its long-term plan to isolate China in the Asia-Pacific region."

"The report on the 'U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy' issued this time is a document of confrontation which is run, from A to Z, with containment of China," it said.

"The U.S. act of deliberately aggravating tension by targeting a specific country will face ever-increasing condemnation, opposition and denouncement from the international society as it is the root cause of creating constant instability in the region," it added.

Pyongyang's criticism came as the leaders of the two sides have highlighted their close ties.

Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a letter to the North's leader Kim Jong-un to express gratitude for his messages about the Beijing Winter Olympics, according to the North's state media.

Xi also said that China is ready to work with the North to "steadily develop" bilateral relations of "friendship and cooperation."

Source: Yonhap News Agency