BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th September, 2018) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday congratulated North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on the 70th anniversary of the republic's foundation, emphasizing Beijing's commitment to maintaining friendly relations with Pyongyang, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
"Since the moment of the foundation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea [DPRK] 70 years ago, the North Korean people has managed to achieve significant success ... The development of socialism in the DPRK has entered a new historic stage, and I'm sincerely happy about it," Xi said in a telegram, as quoted by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Xi pointed out that the North Korean people, led by Kim, had achieved substantial progress in the social and economic development over the past few years.
"China and the DPRK remain friendly neighbors, the older generation of the Chinese and the North Korean leaders have created this tradition of friendship and have made every effort to promote it, and this is an essential value for the two countries," Xi said.
According to Xi, the "maintenance, strengthening and development" of relations with North Korea are a permanent policy course for the Chinese government. Xi specified that the three meetings that he had held with Kim in 2018 had contributed to establishing a clear guidance for the bilateral relations' enhancement.
"I am ready to work with comrade chairman [of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim] on a firm, steady and long-term development of the bilateral relations, on the promotion of our countries' peoples' well-being, and also on contribution to regional peace and stability maintenance," Xi stressed.
He concluded by wishing wealth and prosperity to North Korea.
Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910 and divided into two zones following the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II in 1945. As the reunification talks failed, two separate governments were formed in 1948, which marked the foundation of the socialist DPRK and the capitalist South Korea.
