Fifty years of friendship

The foundations were laid exactly half a century ago, on July 11, 1961, when former Chinese premier Zhou Enlai and Kim Il Sung the then leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) signed the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, which created a solid foundation for friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries.

Since then, the treaty has weathered the changes in political climate, both on the international and domestic fronts, and helped maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the Asia-Pacific region.

Today, goodwill delegations headed by Chinese and DPRK senior officials are visiting Pyongyang and Beijing to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the treaty.