The following article, which was originally published on the website of the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), on March 25, 2025, recalls the seventh anniversary of the first visit to China by the country’s top leader Kim Jong Un at the invitation of Xi Jinping, March 25-28, 2018.
It notes that Xi Jinping, “organised a special luncheon at Yangyuanzhai of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, the very place where President Kim Il Sung had shared friendly feelings with the preceding leaders of China and strengthened friendly ties with Comrade Kim Jong Un in a family atmosphere.”
Xi Jinping said that the traditional China-DPRK friendship is a unique one forged by blood, and it provides the two parties and the peoples of the two countries with happiness.
For his part, Kim Jong Un expressed his will to develop onto a new higher level the DPRK-China friendly relationship which was formed in the course of the sacred joint struggle for the socialist cause and which has maintained its original character despite all ordeals of history.
Seven years ago from now, respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), made his first historic visit to China from March 25 to 28, 2018, on invitation by Comrade Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and President of the People’s Republic of China.
During the period, Comrade Xi Jinping, who received respected Comrade Kim Jong Un as the most important state guest, accorded cordial hospitality with utmost sincerity. He organized a special luncheon at Yangyuanzhai of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, the very place where President Kim Il Sung had shared friendly feelings with the preceding leaders of China, and strengthened friendly ties with Comrade Kim Jong Un in a family atmosphere.
In his speech made at a grand banquet arranged in welcome of respected Comrade Kim Jong Un’s visit to China, Comrade Xi Jinping said that the traditional China-DPRK friendship is a unique one forged by blood, and it provides the two Parties and the peoples of the two countries with happiness, just as a luxuriant tree with deep roots and a never-drying spring. He also underlined the need for both sides to value, safeguard and glorify the friendship – the precious asset common to the two countries.
Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, in turn, warmly congratulated Comrade Xi Jinping on his re-election as the president of the state. He expressed the steadfast will of the WPK and the DPRK government to develop onto a new higher level the DPRK-China friendly relationship which was formed in the course of the sacred joint struggle for the socialist cause and which has maintained its original character despite all ordeals of history, true to the noble intentions of the preceding leaders.
The first historic visit to China made by respected Comrade Kim Jong Un opened a brilliant chapter in the chronicles of the DPRK-China friendship. It served as a noteworthy event which provided a radical milestone in expanding and developing onto a new higher platform the time-honored friendly relations shared by the DPRK and China.
Thanks to the wise leadership of the leaders of the two Parties and the two countries, the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation between the DPRK and China will continue to strengthen and develop in the course for accomplishment of the common cause for dynamically promoting socialist construction, providing the peoples of the two countries with material well-being and safeguarding global peace and regional security.