Kim Jong-il, the top leader of North Korea and general secretary
of the Workers' Party of Korea, met in Pyongyang Tuesday with Liu
Yunshan, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of
China (CPC) Central Committee.
Liu conveyed a message to Kim from Hu Jintao, general secretary
of the CPC Central Committee, in which Hu says the new CPC
leadership would continue to attach great importance to and cherish
the traditional friendship between China and North Korea.
China is willing to work with North Korea to implement the
significant understandings reached by the two sides in recent
years, further deepen the friendly cooperative relations between
two countries and make greater contribution to realizing sustained
peace and common prosperity in the region, said Hu in the
message.
Kim told Liu that North Korea highly values the friendship with
China, saying the friendship, which was founded by the older
generations of the two countries' leaders, would not be changed as
situation or generations change.
"We're willing to work with China to strengthen communication
and coordination and push forward the bilateral relations," said
Kim.
Liu said that the exchanges and cooperation between the two
countries in various fields have been stepped up in recent years
and that the two countries have coordinated closely on
international and regional issues.
The Chinese side will continue to be devoted to pushing forward
the relations between the two countries and the two parties, said
the CPC official.
Liu also made positive comments on the achievements North Korea
has made in recent years in developing its economy, overcoming
natural disasters and improving the people's livelihood, adding
that the CPC and the Chinese government will firmly support as
always the North Korean people in exploring a development path that
confirms to the actual situation in the country.
Kim said that the Chinese people, under the leadership of the
CPC with Hu Jintao as the general secretary, had made a series of
great achievements in building a harmonious society.
The successful convening of the 17th National Congress of the
CPC would make the CPC stronger and it would push ahead more
strongly with the building of socialism with Chinese
characteristics, he said.
(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2007)
