Xi, Kim exchange congratulations on 60th anniversary of China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance

BEIJING, July 11 (Xinhua) -- General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, exchanged congratulatory messages on Sunday with Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), also chairman of the State Affairs Commission and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on the 60th anniversary of the signing of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance.

In his message, Xi pointed out that in 1961, leaders of the elder generation of China and the DPRK made the far-sighted strategic decision to sign the treaty, which laid important political and legal foundations for consolidating the friendship the two peoples had forged with blood and promoting bilateral friendly cooperation for the long run.

Over the past 60 years, Xi said, China and the DPRK, firmly supporting each other and striving hand in hand in the spirit of the treaty, have strengthened the traditional brotherly friendship between the two parties and countries, advanced the development of their respective socialist causes, and safeguarded regional and global peace and stability.

Xi recalled that in recent years, he and Kim have met for several times to blueprint the development of relations between the two parties and countries and enrich the China-DPRK friendship in the new era, and reached a series of important consensuses.

Stressing that today a major shift in the world landscape unseen in a century is accelerating, Xi said he is ready to work with Kim to strengthen strategic communication, chart the course for the China-DPRK relationship and lift the friendly cooperation between the two countries to new levels so as to bring more benefits to the two countries and their people.

China has recently held grand celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the CPC's founding, and the DPRK people are striving all out in unity to implement the decisions and deployments made at the eighth WPK Congress, Xi noted, stressing that China firmly supports the DPRK in developing its economy, improving its people's wellbeing, and vigorously advancing its cause of socialist construction.

Xi said he is confident that the WPK and the DPRK people, under the leadership of Kim, will surely make new and greater achievements.

Kim, in his message, said the signing of the treaty demonstrated to the world the firm will of the two parties as well as the governments and people of the two countries to promote long-term development of the DPRK-China friendship forged with blood on a solid legal basis.

Over the past six decades, the DPRK and China have written a proud history of friendship through mutual support and help, he said.

He noted that in recent years, in the face of a complex and ever-changing international landscape, the comradely trust and friendship between the DPRK and China have kept growing deeper, and bilateral relations have advanced to a higher stage.

It is the unswerving position of the WPK and the DPRK government to continuously strengthen and develop the DPRK-China friendly and cooperative relations, he said.

The WPK, the DPRK government and the DPRK people, he added, will attach greater importance to the DPRK-China friendship, a common treasure of both sides, and march forward hand in hand with the CPC, the Chinese government and the Chinese people in the sacred journey of building socialism and communism.

Once again congratulating the CPC on its centenary, he said he wishes the CPC and the Chinese people greater success in building China into a modern socialist country in all respects and achieving the great national rejuvenation.