The president of China congratulated North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on his appointment to chairman of the country’s Workers’ Party late Monday.
“I wish the Korean people fresh success in carrying out the cause of socialism under the leadership of the WPK headed by Chairman Kim Jong Un,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a message on Tuesday, according to North Korea’s KCNA news agency.
Kim assumed the chairman position Monday, the last day of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s first ruling party legislative body.
Xi said he hoped Kim’s formal promotion as the leader of the congress would give both countries the chance to work together.
“We will make efforts together with the DPRK side to bring happiness to the two countries and their peoples and contribute to peace, stability and development in this region by steadily developing the Sino-DPRK friendship and cooperation,” Xi added.
Although the countries have maintained strong trade relations, the Chinese president has publicly admitted he is not a supporter of Korea’s quest for nuclear weapons. China partnered with the U.N. Security Council when it sanctioned North Korea earlier this year for repeated nuclear tests.
