Pyongyang, March 10 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, sent a reply message to Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, on March 9.

The reply message said:

Respected Comrade General Secretary,

I express deep thanks to you for sending a warm congratulatory message on my reelection as the general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea at the Ninth Congress of the WPK.

The congratulatory message, sent by you after the sincere congratulations from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to the Ninth WPK Congress, is an expression of support and encouragement to me and all our Party members.

It is the unshakable stand of our Party and the government of the Republic to continue to consolidate and develop the traditional DPRK-China friendship in conformity with the requirements of the new era and the aspirations of the peoples of the two countries.

I believe that the cooperation between the two parties and the two countries will get closer in the future on the road of advancing the common cause of socialism.

I sincerely wish you good health and greater success in your work to strengthen the party and accelerate the building of a modern and powerful socialist country. -0-