Pyongyang, June 21 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and his wife Ri Sol Ju hosted a grand banquet on Thursday evening in welcome of the DPRK visit by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and president of the People's Republic of China, and his wife Peng Liyuan.
Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and his wife gladly greeted President Xi Jinping and his wife at the venue of the banquet.
Present there were Choe Ryong Hae, Pak Pong Ju, Kim Jae Ryong and other senior officials of the Party and the government, and commanding officers of the Korean People's Army.
Invited to the banquet were the entourage of the Chinese side including Ding Xuexiang, Yang Jiechi, Wang Yi, He Lifeng and Song Tao, and members of the Chinese embassy here.
The Supreme Leader made a speech welcoming the Chinese president's visit to the DPRK.
The Supreme Leader warmly welcomed the Chinese president and his wife who came with warm friendly feelings of the Chinese people on behalf of the WPK Central Committee, the DPRK government and all the Party members and other people of the DPRK and for his own part.
The Pyongyang citizens' enthusiastic cheers in every street of Pyongyang today reflect the deep and friendly feelings of the Party and people of the DPRK toward the Chinese party and people and come to be a strong demonstration of the great DPRK-China friendship, the Supreme Leader said.
He recalled that the revolutionaries and peoples of the two countries had their destinies united into one in the flames of the sacred struggle for realizing the common socialist idea in the early days of their struggle and created valuable traditions of genuine comradely friendship, unity, support and cooperation.
He said the past four rounds of meetings and talks with the general secretary confirmed again the truth that socialism is the unchangeable core of the DPRK-China friendship and the peculiarity and invincibility of the DPRK-China friendship lie in defending and glorifying socialism by pooling efforts, adding that the general secretary's visit serves as great political support and encouragement to the party members and people of the DPRK out in the accomplishment of the cause of socialism.
Expressing the belief that the two countries would as ever give full play to their unity and solidarity and surely achieve brilliant victories in the struggle for achieving progress in the cause of socialism, the Supreme Leader expressed the firm belief that the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people would register greater successes in the struggle for effecting a fresh miracle of the Chinese nation under the guidance of the general secretary.
General Secretary Xi Jinping made a reply speech.
He extended the sincerest greeting and heartfelt thanks to Chairman Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju, the party, government and people of the DPRK on behalf of the Chinese party, government and people for the grand and warm welcome accorded by the leading officials of the Party, government and army of the DPRK and hundreds of thousands of Korean people.
Pointing out that the Korean party and people have tackled a variety of ordeals and difficulties and performed prominent exploits through a resolute struggle by dint of the single-minded unity under the direction of President Kim Il Sung, General Secretary Kim Jong Il and Chairman Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping said that today the party and the people of the DPRK are effecting a new leap forward in the socialist construction in one mind under the strenuous leadership of Chairman Kim Jong Un.
He expressed the belief that the socialist cause of the DPRK would steadily register new and bigger successes and advance toward a more beautiful future under the guidance of the Workers' Party of Korea headed by Chairman Kim Jong Un.
He noted that the party, government and people of China firmly support Chairman Kim Jong Un leading the Korean party, government and people to preserve socialism, enforce the new strategic line and accelerate the course of the political settlement of the peninsula issue and thus create a good environment for self-development.
He expressed his will to jointly carve out a beautiful future of the China-DPRK relations and a beautiful future of durable peace and co-prosperity in the region by inheriting history, hewing out future and achieving unity and cooperation together with the DPRK side.
The banquet proceeded in a warm and amicable atmosphere. -0-