Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun says in an article on Saturday that the respected General Secretary Kim Jong Un's first historic visit to China five years ago marked a turning point in developing the traditional relations of friendship between the DPRK and China, firmly united as one destiny in the common struggle for opposing the imperialists' aggression and defending socialism, onto a new high stage as required by the times.

The DPRK-China friendship is a special relationship provided by the preceding leaders of the two countries with their hearts and kept by the revolutionary forerunners at the cost of their blood, the article says and goes on:

In the course of struggling for the common cause together with the leaders of elder generation of China, President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il established the relationship of comradely obligation with them and deepened it and thus made a proud history of winning victory together.

The respected General Secretary's visit to China was a manifestation of his will to invariably preserve the long tradition of the DPRK-China friendship and revolutionary obligation, a precious legacy bequeathed by the great leaders, and creditably carry forward and develop the DPRK-China relations generation after generation.

The past five years proved once again that there is no insurmountable difficulty if the two parties and peoples of the two countries join hands with each other on the road of struggle for independence and justice by carrying forward the wonderful and great history and tradition of friendship.

The two parties and two countries will as ever frustrate the hostile forces' moves to isolate and stifle them and dynamically promote the socialist cause by dint of friendship and unity.

The invincible DPRK-China friendship will be everlasting on the road of the socialist cause. -0-