Leaders congratulate DPRK's 60th birthday

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-08 10:13

BEIJING -- Chinese leaders on Monday sent a jointly-signed message to their counterparts of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), congratulating them on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the DPRK.

The message was sent jointly by Chinese President Hu Jintao, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao to Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the DPRK National Defense Commission, President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly Kim Yong Nam and DPRK Premier Kim Yong Il.

The founding of the DPRK marked the beginning of a brand-new era when the DPRK people became masters of their own country and started to construct a socialist country, said the message.

Over the past 60 years, the self-reliant and hard-working DPRK people, under the leadership of President Kim Il Sung, General Secretary Kim Jong Il and the Workers' Party of Korea, have scored remarkable achievements in their socialist revolution and construction, said the message.

"We are heartily rejoiced over this and sincerely hope the DPRK people will continue to score new achievements in their efforts to explore roads of development that conform to their own national situation, to promote the overall economic and social development, and to expand foreign exchanges and cooperation," said the Chinese leaders.

China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors. Thanks to their mutual efforts, the traditional China-DPRK friendship has been continuously consolidated and developed, said the message.

China is willing to push forward the friendly cooperative ties with the DPRK and to make unremitting efforts to maintain regional peace and stability, the message said.

The message was concluded with wishes for the DPRK's prosperity and its people's happiness.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi also sent a congratulatory message on Monday to his DPRK counterpart Pak Ui Chun on the occasion.