DPRK Briefing Book : DPRK and Chinese Leaders Exchange Messages on the 55th Anniv. of Diplomatic Ties

DPRK Briefing Book : DPRK and Chinese Leaders Exchange Messages on the 55th Anniv. of Diplomatic Ties

Choson Sinbo, October 16, 2004

The 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the DPRK and China was commemorated in the two countries.

Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of the Workers?Party of Korea and chairman of the National Defense Commission of the DPRK, together with Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, and Pak Pong Ju, premier of the Cabinet, sent a message of greetings on October 5 to Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the CPC and President of the People’s Republic of China; Jiang Zemin, Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the PRC; Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress; and Wen Jiabao, premier of the State Council; on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and China.

The message said: The opening of the diplomatic ties between the two countries marked a historic event as it made it possible to develop the DPRK-China friendship with a long history on a new higher stage has contributed to ensuring peace and security in Asia and the rest of the world. Over the last 55 years since the establishment of the diplomatic relations our two countries have steadily developed the friendly ties, firmly supporting and closely cooperating with each other in the efforts to attain their common objectives.

The message stressed that the DPRK-China friendship would steadily grow stronger by the concerted efforts of the two parties, governments and peoples and said, “We sincerely wish the party, government and people of China greater success in their work to attain the higher goal of socialist modernization with Chinese characteristics and their efforts to achieve the reunification of the whole country.”

On the same day, Kim Jong Il, Kim Yong Nam and Pak Pong Ju received a message of greetings from Hu Jintao, Jiang Zemin, Wu Bangguo and Wen Jiabao.

The Chinese leaders stressed in their message, “We together with the DPRK side will strive to steadily promote Sino-DPRK friendly and cooperative relations founded by the leaders of the elder generation of the two countries in the spirit of ‘inheriting the tradition,’ facing up to the future, building good neighborly friendship and strengthening cooperation.”

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