Attending the events were personages of various strata, including officials of the above-mentioned associations, and families of those related to the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle.

The ambassador and staff members of the DPRK embassy in Beijing were present on invitation.

Speeches were made at the friendly meeting.

The vice-chairman of the said China association offered warm congratulations to the Korean people who made signal successes in all fields of the revolution and construction under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il to significantly greet the 60th founding anniversary of the DPRK last year and wished them greater victories in their dynamic drive to attain the goal of opening the gate to a great prosperous and powerful nation by bringing about a new great revolutionary surge this year.

Noting that the China-DPRK friendship has demonstrated its strong vitality, weathering out the trials of the complicated international situation, he said: We will hold dearer the precious asset provided by the leaders of the elder generation of the two countries and make greater contribution to bringing the flower of the long-standing Sino-DPRK friendship into fuller bloom together with the Korean comrades.

Choe Jin Su, DPRK ambassador to China, noted that the army and people of the DPRK are working hard to bring about a new great revolutionary surge on all fronts of socialist construction under the Songun leadership of Kim Jong Il.

The Korean people hope that the Chinese people would make greater strides to glorify the 60th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China, he said, expressing belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and China would grow stronger under the deep care of the top leaders of the two countries and by joint efforts of both sides in the "year of DPRK-China friendship."

The participants in the meeting sang songs of the two countries together, deepening friendship.