By Shi Yongming

July 11 this year marked the 60th an- niversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship， Cooperation and Mutual Assistance Between China and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea （DPRK）. Leaders of the two countries exchanged messages of congratulations for this event.

In his message， Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke highly of the leaders of the elder generation of China and the DPRK for making the far-sighted strategic decision to sign the treaty， which laid important political and legal foundations for consolidating the friendship the two peoples had forged with blood and promoting friendly cooperation in the future. He pointed out that over the past 60 years， China and the DPRK， firmly supporting each other and striving hand in hand in the spirit of the treaty， have strengthened the traditional brotherly friendship， advanced the development of their respective socialist causes， and safeguarded regional and global peace and stability.

Kim Jong Un， Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK， said in his message that mutual support and help characterize the bilateral relationship following the signing of the treaty. In recent years， in the face of a complex and changing international landscape， the comradely trust and friendship between the DPRK and China have kept growing deeper and bilateral relations have advanced， he added.

The China-DPRK solidarity has made great contributions to the post-war peace and stabil- ity in East Asia. The leaders both expressed their confidence that the friendly cooperation between the two countries will continue to progress.

A new type of relationship

The Chinese and Korean peoples have maintained close relationship since ancient times and always offered assistance to each other when needed. The Peoples Republic of China and the DPRK are two modern countries established after World War II （WWII）. They chose similar development paths to shake off the shackles of the old era， but both countries had to confront blockades by imperialist forces in their early years.

The 1950-53 Korean War was initially a civil war as both the DPRK and the Republic of Korea （ROK） attempted to reunify the Korean Peninsula. In fact， the ROK has not signed the armistice because it was unwilling to give up its desire for reunification by force. Some imperialist countries later intervened in the conflict， trying to extend their sphere of influence up to the Yalu River， the border between China and the DPRK， and even dropping bombs on Chinese territory. This forced China to join the war. It was in the joint struggle against imperialist aggression that China and the DPRK forged great friendship.