PYONGYANG - Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived on Thursday to attend the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and pay an official goodwill visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, makes the trip at the invitation of the Central Committee of the WPK and the government of the DPRK.

Upon arrival, Li said that China and the DPRK, as socialist neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, enjoy a profound traditional friendship.

In recent years, under the strategic guidance and personal efforts of General Secretary Xi Jinping and General Secretary Kim Jong-un, China-DPRK relations have been brimming with new dynamism and vitality, said Li.

In September, General Secretary Kim came to China to attend the commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War and the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries held another successful meeting and reached a series of important consensus, charting the course for the development of bilateral relations, he said.

The Chinese premier pointed out that China stands ready to work with the DPRK to follow through on the important consensus reached by the two top leaders, strengthen strategic communication, maintain close exchanges and push for friendly cooperation between the two countries, so as to make greater contributions to regional and world peace, stability and prosperity.