Seoul, 01 July (H.S.): North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening relations with China in a congratulatory message sent to Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

According to South Korea's state-run Yonhap News Agency, citing the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim said that there could be no New China without the Communist Party, adding that this is a truth the Chinese people have realised through years of progress under the Party's leadership.

According to KCNA, Kim also recalled his summit meeting with Xi in Pyongyang last month. Xi paid a two-day state visit to the North Korean capital on June 8-9, his first trip to North Korea in nearly seven years.

During the visit, the two leaders agreed to expand cooperation in the political, economic and cultural spheres. They also pledged to strengthen high-level exchanges and open a new chapter in bilateral relations.

In his message to the Chinese leader, Kim said, The strong leadership of our two parties is the firm guarantee for strengthening relations between our two countries, according to the KCNA report.

The North Korean leader also said he was ready to work closely with Xi to further consolidate socialism, which he described as the shared goal of both ruling parties.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar