BEIJING - General Secretary Hu Jintao of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Wednesday congratulated Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong-un on his becoming first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).

In a message, Hu said it was a comfort to see the people of the DPRK had followed the will of late leader Kim Jong-il and rallied behind the WPK in endeavoring to build a strong and prosperous socialist country under the leadership of Kim Jong-un.

China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors, sharing a long border line straddled by mountains and rivers, Hu said, adding the Chinese government and the CPC had remained unswervingly committed to continuously consolidating and developing the traditional friendly cooperation between the two countries.

China is willing to join the DPRK in furthering their traditional friendship, expanding pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and promoting lasting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, he said.

Hu sent sincere good wishes for the cause of building a prosperous and strong country. Kim Jong-un and the WPK would lead the DPRK people to accomplish greater achievements in that cause, he said.

Kim Jong-un was elected first secretary at the fourth party conference on Wednesday.