Kim referred to the fact that Wen Jiabao visited the DPRK at an important time when the DPRK and China are working out brilliant future, summing up the 60 year-long history of friendship and cooperation between them.

He stressed that it is the consistent stand of the WPK and the DPRK government to value the DPRK-China friendship and invariably strengthen and develop it.

Wen Jiabao expressed thanks to General Secretary Kim Jong Il for having greeted him and other Chinese guests at the airport.

He also referred to the fact that the two countries have dynamically stepped up socialist construction, supporting and cooperating with each other after the establishment of diplomatic ties between them.

He noted that it is the moral obligation toward the leaders of the elder generation and responsibility before the new generation to steadily consolidate and develop the traditional Sino-DPRK friendly relations, the common wealth of the two peoples.

Present there were Yang Jiechi, minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Jiarui, head of the International Liaison Department of the C.C., the CPC, Zhang Ping, minister in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission, Chen Deming, minister of Commerce, Cai Wu, minister of Culture, Xie Fuzhan, director of the Research Office of the State Council, Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK, Qiu Xiaoxiong, vice secretary-general of the State Council and director of the Premier's Office, Wu Dawei, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and Liu Zhenqi, deputy director of the General Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

On hand were Choe Thae Bok, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Pak Ui Chun, minister of Foreign Affairs, Kang Nung Su, minister of Culture, Pak Kyong Son, vice department director of the WPK Central Committee, Kim Yong Il, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Ku Pon Thae, vice-minister of Foreign Trade, and Choe Jin Su, DPRK ambassador to China.