PYONGYANG, July 11 (Xinhua) -- The people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and China will carry forward bilateral ties cemented by the leaders of the two countries, said the DPRK's state media on Thursday, 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 the DPRK, 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.

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

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