President sends DPRK best wishes on its 71st anniversary

President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message on Sept. 9 to Kim Jong-un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on the country's 71st founding anniversary.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, extended warm congratulations and his sincerest best wishes on behalf of the CPC, the Chinese government and the Chinese people to Kim, who is chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK, and through Kim to the WPK, the DPRK government and the DPRK people.

Since the founding of the DPRK 71 years ago, the people of the country have promoted the progress of socialist revolution and building under the leadership of the WPK, Xi said in the message.

Xi said that he believed that under the leadership of the WPK with Kim as the top leader, the socialist cause of the DPRK will definitely make new achievements.

Xi said he would like to make joint efforts with Kim, inherit and develop the traditional Sino-DPRK friendship, promote greater development of bilateral ties in the new historical period and bring more benefits for the two countries and peoples.

In the letter, Xi wished prosperity to the country and happiness to the DPRK people.

In June, Xi paid a two-day state visit to the DPRK, the first by a Chinese head of state in 14 years. Before the visit, Xi and Kim had met four times in China, most recently in Beijing in January. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the DPRK.

Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency quoted DPRK media reports as saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin also sent a congratulatory message to Kim on the country's 71st founding anniversary.