Ri Ryong Nam, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(DPRK) to the People’s Republic of China(PRC), recently visited Shanghai and Zhejiang Province at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC. He looked around several places including Memorial of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China(CPC), Red Boat where the founding of the CPC was proclaimed, Exhibition on the theme of 30 th anniversary of Pudong’s development and opening up and Chuanshan area of Ningbo Zhoushan Port.

Shanghai and Zhejiang Province are marked by the everlasting traces of President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il devoted to the strengthening and development of the DPRK-PRC friendship during their historic visits to the PRC.

The Memorial of the First National Congress of the CPC in Shanghai is a notably meaningful place where President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il left their precious autograph writing.

Chairman Kim Jong Il visited this Memorial on June 8, 1983 and said that the Communist Party of China is a revolutionary Party which has a glorious tradition and a wealth of fighting achievements and experience and guides the Chinese people only to victory, and that under the leadership of the CPC, the Chinese people achieved victory in the revolution and built a powerful socialist state by waging a long and arduous struggle.

An official of the Memorial showed Chairman Kim Jong Il the visitors’ book which keeps the autograph writing left by President Kim Il Sung during his visit to this place in December 1958. The official said in excitement that it is the great honor for the Memorial to have the personal visit of respected Comrade Kim Jong Il 25 years since and expressed the desire that Chairman Kim Jong Il leave an autograph writing to be remembered forever.

Chairman Kim Jong Il read the earnest mind of the official and wrote the following in brisk handwriting.

《Glory and victory to the Communist Party of China

Which wages a vigorous struggle

To build a modern socialist power

And to accomplish the communist cause!

High tribute to the great Communist Party of China

Kim Jong Il

June 8, 1983》

The autograph writing by Chairman Kim Jong Il , not lengthy though, carries immensely noble sense of obligation of the peerlessly great man for the Chinese people fighting together for the common cause.

So much so that Comrade Xi Jinping, in his speech delivered at the reception arranged in honour of the first historic visit to China by respected Comrade Kim Jong Un in March 2018, recalled with deep emotion that Comrade Xi Zhongxun personally received at the station and escorted Chairman Kim Jong Il who had visited China for the first time in June 1983. And he underlined the need to treasure the PRC-DPRK friendship, and safeguard in good faith and steadily develop it – the friendship which is the only one of its kind and the shared asset of the two countries.

During the latest visit of Ambassador Ri Ryong Nam, the officials of Shanghai and Zhejiang Province emphasized that they would increasingly deepen exchange and cooperation with the DPRK in several fields. This is an expression of their willingness to promote the traditional relations of friendship between the DPRK and the PRC as required by the new era, true to the lofty intentions of the leaders of the two Parties and the two countries.

We are convinced that Shanghai and Zhejiang Province, where the Communist Party of China took its historic root, will take the lead in marshalling nationwide efforts to build a modern socialist country in all aspects, and we will work together with the Chinese comrades to further strengthen the DPRK-PRC bond of friendship deeply associated with the high dedication by the preceding leaders of the two countries.

Kim Il Chol

Member of Korea-China Association for Civil Exchange Promotion