On January 1, 2024, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President Xi Jinping exchanged messages of New Year greetings with General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong-un, and jointly announced the designation of 2024 as the "China-DPRK Friendship Year" and launched a series of activities.

Xi Jinping pointed out that China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors connected by mountains and rivers. The friendship between China and the DPRK was forged by the elder generation of leaders of the two parties and two countries, cemented in the revolutionary struggle of blood and fire, and continuously deepened in the course of socialist construction. In recent years, the traditional friendly cooperation between China and the DPRK has entered a new historical period with joint efforts and promotion of both sides. The two sides have maintained close strategic communication, deepened practical cooperation, strengthened coordination and collaboration in multilateral international affairs, pushed forward the continuous development of China-DPRK relations, safeguarded the common interests of the two countries, and maintained regional peace and stability.

Xi Jinping emphasized that under the new circumstances in the new era, the CPC and the Chinese government have always viewed China-DPRK relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and it is China's unswerving policy to uphold, consolidate and develop China-DPRK traditional friendship and cooperation. China is ready to work with the DPRK to take the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the "China-DPRK Friendship Year" as an opportunity to carry forward the traditional friendship, deepen strategic mutual trust, enhance exchanges and cooperation, ensure that China-DPRK relations move forward with the times for greater development, jointly write a new chapter of China-DPRK friendship, better benefit the two peoples, and continuously make new contributions to safeguarding regional peace and stability.

In his message, Kim Jong-un said, the year 2024 is of great significance as it marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and China. At present, the DPRK and China have entered a new stage of development in their respective socialist construction, and the international situation is undergoing complex changes. The two parties and governments of the DPRK and China have designated 2024 as the "DPRK-China Friendship Year" to further upgrade and develop the traditional friendship and cooperation between the DPRK and China in accordance with the needs of the times, which serves the common expectation and desire of the two peoples. The DPRK-China friendship was established, consolidated and developed in the struggle of socialism. Kim Jong-un expressed the belief that in the new year, the unbreakable friendship between the DPRK and China will be fully demonstrated. The two parties and governments of the DPRK and China will hold the "DPRK-China Friendship Year" activities to strengthen exchanges and interactions in political, economic, cultural and other fields, deepen friendship, strengthen the bond of solidarity, further step up cooperation in the joint efforts to safeguard regional and world peace and stability, and write a new chapter in DPRK-China relations.