Xu said that the Chinese party, government and army attach great importance to the delegation's visit to China.

The traditional Sino-DPRK friendship provided by Chairman Mao Zedong, Premier Zhou Enlai and President Kim Il Sung, the great leader of the Korean people, is a common treasure that has struck its roots deep into the minds of the two peoples, he stressed.

Noting that the friendly ties between the armies of the two countries hold an important position in the bilateral relations, he said:

The brisk exchange between the two armies will positively promote the development of the Sino-DPRK friendly relations.

We will work hard together with Korean comrades to develop the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries and the two armies onto a higher stage under the fresh situation.

We wholeheartedly wish the army and people of the DPRK bigger successes in their efforts to defend the security of the country, develop the economy and improve the standard of living.

Li Jinai, director of the General Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, too, met with the delegation on the same day.

Saying that the CPLA and the KPA are revolutionary armies guided by the political parties, he declared that they would strive to develop the traditional Sino-DPRK friendship for all ages.