Present there on invitation were a vice-minister of Culture of China, He Jun, deputy secretary-general of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and other officials concerned.

DPRK Ambassador to China Choe Jin Su and staff members of his embassy were present there.

The ambassador in a speech at the reception said that the conclusion of the agreement on cultural cooperation between the DPRK and Chinese governments 50 years ago helped lay a firm foundation for the development of cultural relations between the two countries. He referred to the great contributions made by the agreement to the cultural cooperation and exchange and the development of the friendly relations between the two countries in the past.

Noting that the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation are comprehensively developing in various fields under the deep care of the top leaders of the two countries, and exchange and cooperation in the cultural field, in particular, are expanding day by day, he expressed the belief that colorful cultural events would be successfully held in the significant "year of DPRK-China friendship" and thus the flower garden of DPRK-China friendship would look more beautiful.

The vice-minister of Culture of China said that the Sino-DRPK friendship is the traditional friendship personally provided and cultivated by the leaders of the elder generation of the two countries and it is steadily growing stronger under the care of the top leaders of the two countries, expressing belief that the cultural exchange and cooperation between China and the DPRK would steadily develop under the care of the two governments and thanks to the common efforts of the two peoples.

The vice-minister stressed that China would promote friendship and boost exchange and cooperation with the DPRK and carve out a more beautiful future of the bilateral relations.