The daily Rodong Sinmun carried an editorial, on June the 2nd, under the title "History and tradition of friendship between Democratic People's Republic of Korea and China will shine through generations".

The editorial said:

Two parties and two peoples of the DPRK and China has written a proud history of friendship in the course of long struggle for defending and glorifying the cause of socialism. Recorded in gold letters in the history of development of relations between the DPRK and China which has been cemented into the unbreakable strategic relations, the comradely relations based on sincere trust, are the undying exploits of the great leader Kim Jong Il.

Kim Jong Il who had been enjoying boundless respect and reverence of the Korean people as an outstanding successor to the revolutionary cause of Juche visited China at the invitation of the the party and government of China between June the 2nd and 12th, Juche 72(1983). During his visit, Kim Jong Il formed close friendship with leading officials of the party and government of China including Deng Xiaoping and Hu Yaobang and cemented the firm foundation for consolidating and developing the friendship through generations between Korea and China provided by the great leader Kim Il Sung together with revolutionaries of the old generations of China, covering a long distance.

Kim Jong Il's historic first visit to China served as an important occasion in putting the friendship between the DPRK and China, whose historic roots were provided in the fierce flames of anti-Japanese struggle and which has been consolidated in the struggle for building and defending socialism, on to a higher stage.

The great leader Kim Jong Il devoted the tireless efforts to constantly consolidating and developing the friendship between the DPRK and China till the last days of his life.

Today, the relations of friendship between the DPRK and China glorified by the great leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il together with the leaders of the old generations of China is carried forward invariably thanks to Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs of the DPRK, and Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and President of the People's Republic of China.

The construction of socialism in the two countries has entered a new historic stage.

True to the noble intention and wise leadership of the respected General Secretary Kim Jong Un, we will, in the future, too, together with Chinese comrades, further develop the relations of friendship between the DPRK and China on to a higher plane in all-round way and continuously and powerfully promote the cause of socialism of two countries and firmly defend peace and security of the Korean peninsula and the rest of the world, the editorial stressed.