On December 31, 2011, Chairman of China's Central Military Commission Hu Jintao sent a message to Kim Jong Un to congratulate him on becoming the supreme commander of the Korean People's Army (KPA) of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). In his congratulatory message, Hu said the two peoples as well as the armed forces of the two nations have enjoyed a profound traditional friendship, adding that he believed the friendly and cooperative ties between China and the DPRK would be constantly consolidated and strengthened under the new historical conditions.