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China, Russia congratulate North over party congress opening

Published: 20 Feb. 2026, 12:42

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during the ninth Workers’ Party Congress in Pyongyang on Feb. 19 in this photo published by the Rodong Sinmun on Feb. 20. [NEWS1]

China and Russia, traditionally aligned with North Korea, have sent congratulatory letters to the North in recognition of the opening of its first congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in five years, state media reported Friday.

Dmitry Medvedev, chief of the ruling United Russia party, sent a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Wednesday, which was followed the next day by a letter from the central committee of China's Communist Party, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

North Korea kicked off a party congress Thursday, the highest decision-making organ in the country and the first since 2021, to set major policy goals on the economy, defense and other key areas.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un delivers a speech at a completion ceremony for Saeppyol Street in the Hwasong district in Pyongyang, built in a prime location for the families of soldiers killed after being deployed to Russia, as reported by the Korean Central News Agency on Feb. 16.. [YONHAP]

In his letter, Medvedev, a close confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said the two countries' traditional friendship and strategic partnership help them defy "external pressure" and ensure "peace and stability in the Asia Pacific region," according to the KCNA.

Medvedev stressed the role of the ruling parties of the two countries in advancing bilateral relations, adding that he expects to "further advance trustworthy discussions between the two parties on a wide scale, including matters of mutual interest."

The Chinese ruling party, meanwhile, said that the two countries have entered a "new historic era" under the "strategic guidance of their national leaders," emphasizing its "high-level focus" on relations with the North Korean Workers' Party.

"[We] are willing to jointly guide the solid and stable development of China-North Korea relations by strengthening communications and deepening exchanges on experiences in state management […] and to promote regional peace and stability," the Chinese party said.

Yonhap