Xi sends congratulations to Kim on WPK's 75th founding anniversary

Undated photo handed out by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Dec. 31, 2019 shows the 5th Plenary Meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in Pyongyang, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). (KCNA/Handout via Xinhua)

BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping on Saturday sent a congratulatory message to Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), on the 75th founding anniversary of the WPK.

In his message, Xi said that on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and in his own name, he extends warm congratulations and best wishes to Kim, and through Kim to the WPK Central Committee, all WPK members as well as the people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

With glorious and time-honored revolutionary traditions, the WPK has in its 75-year brilliant course united and led the DPRK people to fight heroically and move forward bravely, thereby realizing national independence and liberation of the people and promoting the socialist cause to create great achievements, Xi said.

Photo taken on Sept. 8, 2018 shows an avenue decorated with national flags in Pyongyang, capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). (Xinhua/Jiang Yaping)

In recent years, under the strong leadership of the WPK Central Committee headed by Kim, the WPK and the DPRK people have unswervingly followed the path of socialism, focused on strengthening party building and economic work, united as one to address various difficulties and challenges, and actively conducted foreign exchanges and cooperation, making a series of key achievements, Xi noted.

As a comrade and friend, China is sincerely pleased with this, he stressed.

Xi said he believes that under the firm leadership of the WPK Central Committee headed by Kim, the WPK and the DPRK people will make persistent efforts and work hard to continuously push forward the progress of the DPRK's socialist cause, and greet the 8th Congress of the WPK with victory.

China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors linked by the same mountain and river, and are both socialist countries led by communist parties, Xi said.

The traditional China-DPRK friendship, forged and carefully nurtured by the older generation of leaders of the two parties and countries, has taken deep root and has been consolidated over the years, which is worth being cherished, Xi said.

In recent years, Xi recalled, he has held several meetings with Kim, and they have reached many important consensus on consolidating and developing relations between the two parties and the two countries, which has ushered in a new historical chapter in China-DPRK relations.

Xi said today's world is undergoing major changes unseen in a century which is interwoven with the COVID-19 pandemic, with international and regional situations evolving in a complex and profound manner.

China, Xi said, stands ready to work with the DPRK to maintain, consolidate and develop bilateral relations, and push for steady and enduring development of the socialist cause of both countries, so as to create more benefits for the two countries and peoples, and make new positive contributions to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Xi also wished that the WPK would maintain continuous development and the DPRK's socialist cause would prosper.