BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday congratulated Pak Thae Song on reassuming office as premier of the Cabinet of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) at the first session of the 15th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA).

Noting that China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, Li said in his message that the bilateral relationship has entered a new historical phase and continues to advance to higher levels in recent years, under the strategic guidance and personal attention of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Li said he is willing to work with Pak to fully implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and countries, to promote new and greater development in the traditional friendly cooperative relations between China and the DPRK, better benefiting the peoples of both countries.

Also on Thursday, Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, congratulated Jo Yong Won on his election as the chairman of the SPA Standing Committee at the first session of the 15th SPA. Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese foreign minister, congratulated Choe Son Hui on once again taking office as foreign minister of the DPRK.