Xi, Kim vow to strengthen bilateral ties

Leaders exchange congratulations on 60th anniversary of friendship treaty

President Xi Jinping hailed on Sunday the 60 years of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and vowed to work with the DPRK's top leader Kim Jong-un to take bilateral ties to a new level.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark in exchanging congratulatory messages with Kim, who is general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission and the commander in chief of the DPRK's armed forces, on the 60th anniversary of the signing of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance.

Xi said in his message that in 1961, leaders of China and the DPRK made the farsighted 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 to promote long-term bilateral friendly cooperation.

Over the past six decades, he said, China and the DPRK, have worked together and firmly supported each other in the spirit of the treaty. They have strengthened the traditional brotherly friendship between the two parties and countries, advanced the development of their respective socialist causes and upheld regional and global peace and stability, he added.

Speaking of a number of meetings with Kim in recent years, Xi said they used the events to jointly work out blueprints for the development of party-to-party and state-to-state relations, enrich the China-DPRK friendship in the new era and reach consensus on a series of important issues.

He underscored the profound changes in today's international landscape, and said he stands 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 to bring more benefits to the two countries and their people.

Xi also talked about China's grand celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the CPC's founding on July 1, while adding the DPRK people are making all-out efforts in solidarity to implement the decisions and measures unveiled at the eighth WPK Congress.

He stressed 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 said in his message that the signing of the treaty demonstrated to the world the firm will of the two parties, as well as that of 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 grown stronger, and bilateral relations have advanced to a higher level.

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

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi exchanged congratulatory messages on the anniversary with DPRK's Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon on Sunday.

They spoke highly of the development of the bilateral relationship over the past 60 years, saying that under the guidance of Xi and Kim, China-DPRK friendship and cooperation will consistently move forward in the new era.