Xinhua News Agency, Pyongyang, June 8. On June 8, while going to Pyongyang for a state visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and President of the People's Republic of Korea, published a signed article in North Korea's "Rodong Sinmun" titled "Carrying forward the past and forging ahead, working together to continue writing a new chapter in the traditional friendship between China and North Korea." The full text of the article is as follows:

Carry on the past and forge ahead, forge ahead together

Continue to write a new chapter in the traditional friendship between China and North Korea

Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President of the People's Republic of China

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between China and North Korea. At the invitation of Comrade Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the State Council, I will soon pay a state visit to North Korea. This is my first visit to the beautiful North Korea after 7 years. I look forward to discussing the traditional friendship between China and North Korea with General Secretary Kim Jong-un and discussing the development plans for China-North Korea relations.

China and North Korea are friendly socialist neighbors who help each other and share a common destiny. The traditional friendship between China and North Korea is a precious asset shared by the two parties, two countries and their peoples. No matter how the times change or how the international situation changes, the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK remains unbreakable, ever-lasting and ever-growing with vitality.

Strategic guidance from the highest level is the greatest advantage of China-North Korea relations. Historically, the leaders of the older generation of China and North Korea knew each other and were close to each other. In recent years, General Secretary Kim Jong-un and I have met six times, maintaining close strategic communication and jointly drawing a blueprint for the development of China-DPRK relations. I firmly believe that the ship of China-North Korea relations, with the supreme leader at the helm, will surely ride the wind and waves and move forward courageously.

The common ideal of socialism is the distinctive background of China-North Korea relations. The Communist Party of China and the Workers' Party of Korea are both Marxist ruling parties, and China and North Korea are fellow travelers on the road to socialism. I firmly believe that if the two parties and two countries work together to promote the development of their respective parties and countries and continue to strengthen practical exchanges and cooperation, they will effectively promote the prosperity of the country and the happiness and well-being of the people, and continue to demonstrate the significant advantages and bright prospects of socialism.

The traditional friendship of shared destiny is the deep foundation of China-DPRK relations. In the turbulent years of fighting for national independence and national liberation, the people of China and North Korea shared weal and woe, depended on each other for life and death, and forged a great fighting friendship with blood. In the development of their respective socialist undertakings, the two peoples have worked side by side and shared joys and sorrows, vividly demonstrating the comradeship of mutual trust, solidarity and mutual assistance. I firmly believe that the traditional friendship between China and North Korea, which has withstood the changes of the times and the vicissitudes of the international situation, will be passed down from generation to generation and will last forever.

High-level strategic cooperation is the connotation of the times in China-North Korea relations. Promoting long-term regional stability and world peace and stability is the common pursuit of the two parties, two countries and the two peoples. Both sides firmly support each other in safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and work together to safeguard regional peace and tranquility, international fairness and justice, and the post-war international order. I firmly believe that China and North Korea will continue to deepen strategic coordination and will jointly follow the right path of peaceful development and win-win cooperation.

In recent years, in the face of the accelerating changes in the world over the past century and the international situation intertwined with chaos, China and North Korea have insisted on focusing on running their own affairs, forging ahead on the road of socialism and working unremittingly. China has achieved a good start in the 15th Five-Year Plan, is striving to create a new situation in Chinese-style modernization, and is making strides towards its second centenary goal. The Workers' Party of Korea successfully held its Ninth Congress, making strategic plans and major arrangements for the development of the Korean party and country's undertakings, ushering in a new era of comprehensive development of socialism.

It has always been the unswerving policy of the Chinese party and government to maintain, consolidate and develop China-North Korea relations. Currently, China-North Korea relations stand at a new historical starting point, face new development opportunities, and shoulder the mission of the new era. China is willing to work with the DPRK to grasp China-DPRK relations from a strategic perspective and promote China-DPRK relations to keep pace with the times and achieve greater development.

—— Deepen strategic communication and firmly grasp the correct direction for the development of China-North Korea relations. We must maintain the fine tradition of high-level exchanges between the two parties and the two countries, and visit and move around more often like relatives. We should take the 65th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between China and North Korea as an opportunity to strengthen communication and exchanges at all levels of the party, government and military departments, implement the important consensus between the two sides, and inject strong impetus into the development of China-North Korea relations.

—— Strengthen exchanges and mutual learning, and jointly promote the steady and long-term development of the socialist cause of the two countries. We must remain true to our principles and resolve, support each other in taking the socialist path that suits our national conditions, and firmly safeguard the political security of our two countries. Uphold and strengthen the party's overall leadership, expand exchanges and cooperation between the two parties, deepen exchanges and mutual learning of experience in party and state governance, and lead the socialist cause of the two countries from victory to victory.

——Expand practical cooperation and continue to enhance the well-being and friendship of the two peoples. We need to strengthen the alignment of the development strategies of the two countries, tap the potential for cooperation in various fields, share opportunities, jointly promote development, and better benefit the two peoples. Through flexible and diverse forms, we will continue to activate friendly exchanges, deepen mutual understanding, tighten emotional ties, and pass the baton of China-DPRK friendship from generation to generation.

—— Close multilateral cooperation and firmly defend international fairness and justice. We must follow the trend of the times, strengthen strategic communication and coordination, jointly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law, oppose hegemonism and power politics, and oppose all plots and actions that revive militarism and endanger regional security and stability. Jointly promote an equal and orderly world multipolarization, universal and inclusive economic globalization, implement the four major global initiatives, and jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Through the years, we have been sharpened together, and the true gold is seen in the fierce fire. We are willing to join hands with the North Korean comrades to move forward and write a new chapter, so that the traditional friendship between China and North Korea will shine even brighter in the times, and make greater contributions to promoting peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and even the world.