Comrade 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, sent a reply message 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 April 17.

The message said:

Respected general secretary was the first to send sincere and warm congratulations to me on my re-election as chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

This is a manifestation of your deepest trust in and friendship with me and, at the same time, firm support and encouragement to the socialist cause of our Party, government and people.

I am sincerely grateful for this and express heartfelt thanks to you.

As you said, we jointly opened a new chapter of the DPRK-China relations through four rounds of meetings and talks in a little over a year and demonstrated at home and abroad the particularity and vitality of the DPRK-China relations helping each other like a family.

In this course I and you shared confidence and established the most genuine comradely relations which served as the cornerstone for the DPRK-China relations in a new era and a powerful driving force propelling the growth and strengthening of the DPRK-China friendship.

This year is a significant year in which the two countries mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

It is an important mission for us to further value and steadily advance the friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and China at a time when the socialist cause of the DPRK and China and the situation prevailing in the Korean peninsula entered a very crucial period.

I will remain always loyal to comradely obligation with you and make all efforts to surely put the friendly and cooperative relations between the two parties and two countries on a new high level.

I believe that fraternal Chinese people will achieve greater success in the grand march for bringing earlier a new era of prosperity of China and of rich country and wealthy people under the wise leadership of the Communist Party of China with you as the core.

I sincerely wish you good health and happiness.

I send warm and comradely regards to you.