China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) have declared 2024 as the China-DPRK Friendship Year. The move was jointly announced in an exchange of New Year greetings messages between Chinese President Xi Jinping and DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un. The only similar exchange of new year messages reported by China’s Xinhua News Agency was one between Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In his message, Xi pointed out that China and the DPRK are friendly neighbours connected by mountains and rivers, saying that the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK was forged by the older generation of leaders of the two parties and two countries, cemented in the revolutionary struggle, and continuously deepened in the course of socialist construction.
In the new era, the two sides have maintained close strategic communication, deepened practical cooperation, strengthened coordination and collaboration in multilateral international affairs, pushed forward the continuous development of China-DPRK relations, safeguarded the common interests of the two countries, and maintained regional peace and stability, Xi said, adding that it is China’s unwavering policy to maintain, consolidate and develop the long-standing friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries.
In his message, Kim noted that 2024 is a significant year marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and China, saying that socialist construction in the two countries has presently entered a new stage of progress whilst the international situation is undergoing complex changes.
The unbreakable DPRK-China friendship, forged and consolidated in the struggle for socialism, will be fully displayed this year, he said.
Through the activities during the friendship year, the two parties and governments will further promote exchanges in all fields, including politics, economy and culture, further deepen the bonds of friendship and unity, and step-up cooperation in the joint efforts to safeguard regional and global peace and stability, thus writing a new chapter in DPRK-China relations, Kim added.
The Friendship Year is being held to mark the 75th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations. The People’s Republic of China was founded on October 1, 1949, and diplomatic relations were established with the DPRK five days later. However, the close ties between the Chinese and Korean revolutions predate their state relations. Kim Il Sung, the founding leader of the DPRK, began his revolutionary career in China as a teenager, securing vital support from Chinese comrades, and even became a cadre of the Communist Party of China. Chinese and Korean communists and patriots fought shoulder-to-shoulder until the defeat of Japanese militarism in August 1945. Then, between 1946-49, with the liberation of the northern part of the Korean peninsula, Kim Il Sung sent many thousands of Korea’s best combatants to support the liberation war in north-east China, significantly contributing to the victory of the Chinese revolution and the founding of the People’s Republic.
The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Xi, Kim jointly designate 2024 as China-DPRK Friendship Year
BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s top leader Kim Jong Un on Monday jointly designated 2024 as the China-DPRK Friendship Year and launched a series of activities.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Kim, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, made the announcement in their exchange of New Year greeting messages.
In his message, Xi pointed out that China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, saying that the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK was forged by the older generation of leaders of the two parties and two countries, cemented in the revolutionary struggle, and continuously deepened in the course of socialist construction.
In recent years, Xi said, the traditional friendly cooperation between China and the DPRK has entered a new historical period with joint efforts.
The two sides have maintained close strategic communication, deepened practical cooperation, strengthened coordination and collaboration in multilateral international affairs, pushed forward the continuous development of China-DPRK relations, safeguarded the common interests of the two countries, and maintained regional peace and stability, Xi added.
Under the new situation in the new era, the CPC and the Chinese government have always viewed China-DPRK relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and it is China’s unwavering policy to maintain, consolidate and develop the long-standing friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries, Xi said.
China is ready to work with the DPRK to take the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations and the China-DPRK Friendship Year as an opportunity to carry forward the long-standing friendship, deepen strategic mutual trust, enhance exchanges and cooperation, and ensure that bilateral ties move forward with the times for greater development so as to better benefit the two peoples, and continuously make new contributions to safeguarding regional peace and stability, Xi stressed.
In his message, Kim noted that 2024 is a significant year marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and China, saying that socialist construction in the two countries has at the moment entered a new stage of progress and the international situation is undergoing complex changes.
The two parties and governments have decided to designate this year as the China-DPRK Friendship Year, and further promote the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation between the two sides in accordance with needs of the times, which conforms to the common expectation and desire of the people of the two countries, Kim added.
The unbreakable DPRK-China friendship, forged and consolidated in the struggle for socialism, will be fully displayed this year, he said.
Through the activities during the friendship year, the two parties and governments will further promote exchanges in all fields, including politics, economy and culture, further deepen the bonds of friendship and unity, and step up cooperation in the joint efforts to safeguard regional and global peace and stability, thus writing a new chapter in DPRK-China relations, Kim said.
Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Sends New Year Greetings to Xi Jinping
Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) –Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), sent a message of greeting to Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and president of the People’s Republic of China, on the New Year’s Day of 2024.
In the message the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, on behalf of the Workers’ Party of Korea, the DPRK government and the Korean people, extended warm greetings to General Secretary Xi Jinping, the Communist Party of China, the government of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese people on the occasion of the New Year 2024.
2024 is a significant year marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and the People’s Republic of China, the message said.
The two parties and governments of the DPRK and China have fixed this year as a “year of DPRK-China friendship”, and this accords with the common expectation and desire of the peoples of the two countries to further develop the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation as demanded by the era at a time when socialist construction in the two countries has entered a new stage of progress and the international situation is complicated, the message added.
I am pleased to declare the beginning of the “year of DPRK-China friendship” together with Comrade General Secretary, and convinced that the invincibility of the DPRK-China friendship, forged and consolidated in the struggle for socialism, will be fully displayed this year, too, said the message.
Through the “year of DPRK-China friendship”, the two parties and two countries will further promote exchange and visits in all fields, including politics, economy and culture, further deepen the ties of friendship and unity and intensify the cooperation in the joint struggle to safeguard regional and global peace and stability, thus adding a new page to the history of the DPRK-China relations, noted the message.
The message wished Xi Jinping good health in the new year, too, greater success in his responsible work of leading the party and the state, and the People’s Republic of China prosperity and the Chinese people happiness.
Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Receives Greetings from Xi Jinping
Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) — Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, received a message of greeting from Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and president of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), on Jan. 1.
In the message, Xi Jinping extended sincere greetings and best wishes to the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, the Workers’ Party of Korea, the government of the DPRK and the Korean people on behalf of the Communist Party of China, the government of China and the Chinese people and on his own behalf on the occasion of the new year 2024.
The message said that 2024 is the year marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the PRC and the DPRK.
He said in the message that he would declare with Kim Jong Un that 2024 would be set as a “year of China-DPRK friendship”, and that joint celebrations would be held in all fields to inject fresh vitality into the development of China-DPRK relations.
China and the DPRK are the friendly neighbors linked by the same mountain and rivers, the message said, and went on:
The China-DPRK friendship, personally provided by the leaders of the elder generations of the two parties and two countries, has been consolidated in the bloody revolutionary struggle, and steadily deepened in the course of socialist construction. It has also overcome the trials of the ever-changing international situation.
In recent years, the traditional China-DPRK friendly and cooperative relations have entered a new historic period, thanks to the joint efforts and encouragement of both sides.
Both sides have maintained close strategic communication, intensified working-level cooperation and strengthened coordination and cooperation in multilateral international issues, thus promoting the continuous development of the China-DPRK relations and defending the common interests of the two countries and regional peace and stability.
Under the new situation in the new period, the Chinese party and government are consistently dealing with the China-DPRK relations at a strategic level and from a long-term angle.
It is our steadfast policy to successfully defend, consolidate and develop the traditional China-DPRK friendly and cooperative relations.
The Chinese side, together with the DPRK side, will add glory to the traditional friendship, deepen strategic trust, and promote exchange and cooperation with the DPRK on the occasions of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the “year of China-DPRK friendship”, thus encouraging China-DPRK relations to advance and achieve greater development along with the times. By doing so, we are willing to make a ceaseless new contribution to jointly opening a new chapter of China-DPRK friendship, providing better welfare to the peoples of the two countries and safeguarding regional peace and stability.
The message wished the DPRK prosperity, and its people happiness and well-being.
It also wished the “year of China-DPRK friendship” good success.
One thought on “2024 designated as China-DPRK Friendship Year”