Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, on Wednesday extended congratulations to Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), over the DPRK's 78th founding anniversary.

In his message, Xi pointed out that over the past 78 years, under the leadership of the WPK, the DPRK people have achieved vigorous development in various fields of socialist construction through self-reliance, unity and hard work.

In recent years in particular, under the leadership of Kim, the WPK and the DPRK people have made every effort to advance economic and social development, scoring a series of development achievements to China's heartfelt delight, said Xi.

Xi expressed confidence that the brotherly DPRK people will surely achieve the goals and tasks set forth at the Ninth Congress of the WPK and continuously open up new prospects for the cause of Party and state development.

China and the DPRK are friendly socialist neighbors who stand by each other and share weal and woe, Xi said, stressing that it is an unswerving policy of the CPC and the Chinese government to preserve, consolidate and develop China-DPRK relations.

Xi noted that in June this year, he paid a state visit to the DPRK and met with Kim again, opening a new chapter in the development of relations between the two Parties and the two countries.

Xi said that he stands ready to work together with Kim to continue strengthening the strategic guidance of relations between the two Parties and the two countries, jointly promote the development of their respective Party and state causes, continuously improve the well-being of the two peoples and deepen their friendship, so as to make greater contributions to promoting peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and the world at large.