Xi Congratulates Kim on DPRK’s 78th Founding Anniversary
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Wednesday, marking the 78th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The message, reported by Xinhua News Agency, reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to deepening ties with Pyongyang at a time of significant strengthening in bilateral relations.
In his message, Xi — who serves as general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee — praised the DPRK’s development under Kim’s leadership, expressing confidence that the “brotherly DPRK people” will achieve the goals set at the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea, held in February.
A New Chapter in Bilateral Relations
Xi emphasized that China and the DPRK are “friendly socialist neighbors who stand by each other and share weal and woe,” describing the preservation and development of bilateral relations as an “unswerving policy” of the CPC and Chinese government.
Referencing his state visit to Pyongyang in June — his first in seven years — Xi noted that the meeting with Kim “opened a new chapter in the development of relations between the two Parties and the two countries.” He expressed readiness to work with Kim to “continue strengthening the strategic guidance of relations” and contribute to regional peace and prosperity, according to the Chinese government’s English-language website.
The congratulatory message was prominently featured on the front page of the Rodong Sinmun, North Korea’s main state newspaper, on the same day.
Parallel Messages from Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin also sent a congratulatory message to Kim, dispatched a day earlier. Putin vowed to “further consolidate the comprehensive strategic partnership” with North Korea, which he said fully “conforms to the interests” of both countries and “will contribute to ensuring regional security and establishing a new, more just and multi-polarized world order,” as reported by Yonhap News Agency.
Leaders from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Mongolia, Sweden, Belarus, Switzerland, Zimbabwe, Singapore, and Equatorial Guinea also sent congratulatory messages marking the anniversary.
The coordinated messaging from Beijing and Moscow underscores the deepening triangular relationship among China, Russia, and North Korea — a dynamic that has gained prominence amid US-China rivalry and the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
Commemorative Activities in Pyongyang
Ahead of the anniversary, senior North Korean party and government officials visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang to pay tribute to state founder Kim Il-sung and his son Kim Jong-il, whose embalmed bodies lie in state at the mausoleum. According to Yonhap’s coverage, participants “pledged to work harder in the vanguard of historic struggle for the eternal dignity and prosperity of the motherland and happiness of the people.”
Kim Jong-un did not participate in the visit but sent a flower basket in his name. In Beijing, Chinese National People’s Congress Vice Chairman Peng Qinghua attended a reception at the DPRK embassy marking the anniversary, as reported by China Military Online.
A Relationship in Transition
The congratulatory exchange comes amid a notable recalibration of China-DPRK relations. Xi’s June summit with Kim elevated bilateral ties to a “strategic partnership,” and subsequent high-level exchanges — including a July visit to Pyongyang by senior Chinese official Wang Huning — have signaled sustained engagement.
Analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies note that the most significant shift has been the absence of any mention of denuclearization in recent high-level exchanges — a departure from previous Chinese policy that consistently called for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. This has been interpreted as China moving from a mediator role to a more tightly aligned strategic partner.
Trade between the two countries has also recovered, reaching $2.7 billion in 2025 — the highest level since border closures in 2020 — with the first half of 2026 running 19 percent ahead of the same period last year.
What to Watch
As China, Russia, and North Korea continue to deepen their engagement, observers will be watching for further signs of military cooperation, potential trilateral exercises, and whether Beijing’s strategic alignment with Pyongyang reshapes the regional security landscape. The Xi-Putin-Kim axis, once a diplomatic formality, has become an increasingly consequential feature of Northeast Asian geopolitics.