Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of China, sent a reply to North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un, who had sent congratulatory greetings to mark the 105th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, expressing his commitment to developing bilateral cooperation in a long-term and stable manner.

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North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese General Secretary and President Xi Jinping seen during Xi's state visit to North Korea on the 8th. The two leaders exchanged congratulatory messages and replies to mark the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China on the 1st. / Courtesy of Xinhua

Beijing diplomatic sources familiar with bilateral relations revealed on July 5 that President Xi sent a reply to Chairman Kim on July 1, releasing the full text as reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

In the message, President Xi first expressed his gratitude for Kim’s congratulatory greetings and defined the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and the Communist Party of China (CPC) as "both being ruling Marxist parties." He went on to evaluate, "For a long time, the two parties of China and Korea have rallied the peoples of our two countries. Leading them together, we shared joys and sorrows during the grueling days to achieve national independence and liberation. We relied on each other and shared life and death. We have continuously strived forward, advancing vigorously along the broad path of building socialism."

He added, "Joining hands, we have driven the continuous development of the cause of our two parties and two countries, injecting powerful momentum into the China-DPRK friendship passed down through generations."

President Xi also noted that his state visit to North Korea on June 8–9 was a success and expressed his commitment to implementing the agreements reached between the two leaders. He emphasized, "I will guide China-DPRK relations to develop in a long-term, healthy, and stable manner. By doing so, I aim to drive the stable and long-term progress of the socialist cause in our two nations," adding, "We are willing to actively contribute to peace, stability, development, and prosperity in the region and the wider world."

Prior to this, Chairman Kim sent a congratulatory message to President Xi on July 1 to mark the CPC's founding anniversary, reaffirming his commitment to strengthening bilateral ties. Kim had previously sent greetings to Xi for the 95th anniversary in 2016 and the 100th anniversary in 2021.

Socialist states like North Korea and China place special emphasis on "Jeongjuyeon"—milestone anniversaries that fall on every fifth or tenth year. Depending on the occasion, the scale of various commemorative events expands, and high-level congratulatory messages are exchanged. Chairman Kim Jong Un and President Xi have clearly demonstrated this tradition once again.

                                                                                                         Hong Soon-do