Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Hosts Banquet for President Xi Jinping

Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and his wife Ri Sol Ju gave a grand banquet on the evening of June 20 in welcome of Korea visit of Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and President of the People's Republic of China, and his wife Peng Liyuan.

Chairman Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju gladly greeted President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan in the venue of the banquet.

Present at the banquet were Choe Ryong Hae, Member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK and First Vice-Chairman of the State Affairs Commission and President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK; Pak Pong Ju, Member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK, Vice-Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and Vice-Chairman of the Party Central Committee; Kim Jae Ryong, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK and Member of the State Affairs Commission and Premier of the Cabinet of the DPRK; and other senior officials of the party and the government and leading personnel of the Korean People's Army.

Invited there were Ding Xuexiang, Member of the Political Bureau, Member of the Secretariat and Director of the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China; Yang Jiechi, Member of the Political Bureau and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China; and other Chinese suite members and staff members of the embassy of the People's Republic of China in the DPRK.

Chairman Kim Jong Un made a speech in welcome of President Xi Jinping's visit to Korea.

He warmly welcomed General Secretary Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan who have come with cordial friendship in the name of the Central Committee of the WPK and the government of the DPRK, the entire party members and people of Korea and in his name.

He said the warm cheers of the citizens that echoed in the streets of Pyongyang clearly show the deep friendly feelings of the Korean party and people toward the esteemed General Secretary Xi Jinping and the Chinese party and people and they are a powerful demonstration of the great DPRK-China friendship.

He said that long ago the revolutionaries and peoples of the two countries linked their destiny in the flames of the sacred struggle for realizing the common socialist idea and provided the precious traditions of genuine comradely friendship and unity, support and cooperation.

He also said, through the past four meetings and talks with General Secretary Xi Jinping, he confirmed once again the truth that socialism is the invariable core of the DPRK-China friendship and the peculiarity and invincibility of the DPRK-China friendship lie in defending and glorifying socialism with concerted efforts. He added that the current visit of General Secretary Xi Jinping is a great political support and encouragement to the party members and other people of Korea who have turned out to accomplish the socialist cause.

Chairman Kim Jong Un expressed the conviction that the two countries would surely achieve a brilliant victory in unity in the struggle for advance of the socialist cause in the future, too, and also the firm belief that the Communist Party and people of China would make a greater success in their struggle to work new miracles of the Chinese nation under the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping.

Then, President Xi Jinping spoke in return.

He offered the sincerest greetings and expressed heartfelt thanks to Chairman Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju, and to the party, the government and the people of Korea for the grand and warm welcome of the leading officials of the Korean party, government and army and hundreds of thousand Korean people on behalf of the Chinese party, government and people.

He stressed that the Korean party and people have overcome a multitude of bottlenecks and difficulties through stubborn struggle in single-minded unity under the leadership of President Kim Il Sung, General Secretary Kim Jong Il and Chairman Kim Jong Un, performing distinguished achievements. He also said the Korean party and people are making a new upsurge in socialist construction with one mind under the firm guidance of Chairman Kim Jong Un.

He expressed the belief that the DPRK would constantly make greater fresh successes in its socialist cause under the leadership of the WPK headed by Chairman Kim Jong Un and thus go forward to a more beautiful future.

He said the Chinese party, government and people firmly support that Chairman Kim Jong Un is leading the Korean party, government and people to maintain the road of socialism, enforce new strategic line and promote the course of political solution of the issue of the Korean peninsula and thus provide a wonderful environment for their own development.

President Xi Jinping expressed willingness to carry forward the history and shape the future together with the Korean side and shape the beautiful future of the Sino-Korean relations and the beautiful future of durable peace and co-prosperity of the region together through unity and cooperation.