At the invitation of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese president, Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), paid an unofficial visit to China from Sunday to Wednesday.
During the visit, Xi held talks with Kim at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan held a welcoming banquet for, and watched an art performance with, Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju.
Li Keqiang, Chinese premier and member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan attended related activities, respectively.
During the talks, Xi expressed a warm welcome on behalf of the CPC Central Committee to Kim on his first visit to China.
Xi said he appreciated that Kim sent him a congratulatory message on his re-election as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and the assumption of office of chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission (CMC) after the 19th CPC National Congress.
Xi was also grateful to Kim for congratulating him again several days ago, immediately after he was re-elected as China’s president and chairman of the CMC.
Xi said Kim’s current visit to China, which came at a special time and was of great significance, fully embodied the great importance that the Comrade Chairman and the WPK Central Committee have attached to the relations between the two countries and the two parties.
“We speak highly of this visit,” Xi told Kim.
For his part, Kim said a series of major and happy events have taken place consecutively in China recently, as the 19th CPC National Congress was held successfully last year, and the annual sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) were successfully held not long ago.
Kim said Comrade Xi Jinping enjoyed the support of the CPC and the people of the whole country, became the core of the leadership and was re-elected Chinese president and CMC chairman. He said it was his obligation to congratulate Xi in person, in line with the tradition of friendly relations between China and the DPRK.
At present, the Korean Peninsula situation is developing rapidly and many important changes have taken place, Kim said, adding that he felt he should inform Comrade General Secretary Xi Jinping of the situation in person out of comradeship and moral responsibility.
Xi said the traditional China-DPRK friendship, which was established and has been meticulously cultivated by previous generations of leaders from both parties and both countries, was the precious to both sides.
Due to their common ideals and beliefs, as well as profound revolutionary friendship, the previous generations of leaders from the two countries trusted and supported each other, and wrote a fine story in the history of international relations, said Xi.
He said several generations of Chinese and DPRK leaders have maintained close exchanges and paid frequent calls on each other like relatives.
The two parties and countries have supported each other and coordinated with each other during long-term practices, making great contributions to the development of the socialist cause.
“Both the Comrade Chairman and I have personally experienced and witnessed the development of the China-DPRK relationship,” said Xi, adding that both sides have stated repeatedly that traditional China-DPRK friendship should be continuously and better developed.
“This is a strategic choice and the only right choice for both sides have made, based on history and reality, the international and regional structure and the general situation of China-DPRK ties. This should not and will not change because of any single event at a particular time,” Xi said.
The CPC and the Chinese government highly value the friendly and cooperative ties between China and the DPRK, Xi stressed. It is an unswerving principle of the CPC and the Chinese government to maintain, consolidate and develop good relations with the DPRK, he said.
“We are willing to work together with our DPRK comrades, remain true to our original aspiration and move forward together in promoting the long-term healthy and stable development of China-DPRK relations, to the benefit of the two countries and two peoples, and to making new contributions to regional peace, stability and development,” Xi said.
