Present there on invitation were Sun Jiazheng, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Wu Donghe, chairman of the China-Korea Friendship Association, Liu Hongcai, deputy head of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the assistant to the foreign minister of China and other officials concerned.

On hand were Choe Jin Su, DPRK ambassador to China, and his embassy officials.

Addressing the reception, Choe said that the Korean people are rejoiced over the fact that the Chinese people achieved economic development and grandly celebrated the 60th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China last year, and sincerely wished them greater victory in the new year.

It is the consistent policy of the Workers' Party of Korea and the DPRK government to steadily consolidate and develop the traditional DPRK-China friendship, he said, expressing belief that the bilateral relations of friendship and cooperation would develop in line with the common desire and interests of the two peoples in the new year, too.

Sun Jiazheng said that the Korean people made rich achievements in building a great prosperous and powerful nation in the spirit of self-reliance and fortitude under the leadership of the WPK headed by General Secretary Kim Jong Il. The Chinese people are rejoiced over this and heartily wish the Korean people greater success in the new year, he added.

It is the unshakable policy of the Chinese party and government to steadily develop the China-DPRK relations of good-neighborly friendship and cooperation, he said, declaring that they would continue to boost exchange and cooperation together with the Korean comrades in various fields in the new year in the spirit of "Inheriting tradition, facing up to the future, building good-neighborly friendship and strengthening cooperation" and thus open up more beautiful chapter of China-DPRK friendship.