PYONGYANG (XINHUA) - The people of North Korea and China will carry forward bilateral ties cemented by the leaders of the two countries, said North Korea's state media on Thursday (July 11), as both sides were celebrating the anniversary of the signing of a friendship treaty.

The Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance Between China and North Korea, signed in 1961, "has made a great contribution to developing the DPRK-China friendly and cooperative relations, advancing the socialist cause of the two countries and defending peace and security in Asia and the rest of the world century after century", Rodong Sinmun said in a report. DPRK stands for Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.

The relationship between the previous generations of leaders forged and fostered the DPRK-China relations, it said.

Since March last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited China four times, which marked a new chapter in the development of the relations between the North and China, according to Rodong Sinmun.