Present there on invitation were DPRK Ambassador to China Choe Pyong Gwan and his embassy officials.

Wu Donghe, chairman of the China-Korea Friendship Association, the vice-president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and other officials concerned were present there.

Speeches were made at the reception.

Wu Donghe said that the traditional Sino-DPRK friendship provided and cultivated by the leaders of the elder generation of the two countries has struck its roots deep in the hearts of the two peoples.

Both sides have developed the unbreakable friendly relations, understanding and valuing each other and overcoming all sorts of trials in the spirit of the treaty over the last 49 years since the conclusion of the treaty, he said.

He wished the Korean people greater victory in their efforts to open the gate to a thriving nation, defend the peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of the country, firmly rallied around the Workers' Party of Korea headed by Kim Jong Il.

Choe Pyong Gwan noted that the two countries have strengthened the ties of friendship, supporting and cooperating with each other in various domains and achieved a lot of successes in socialist construction in the past.

Referring to General Secretary Kim Jong Il's success made in his historic visit to China in May, he expressed the stand to make positive efforts to boost the DPRK-China friendship in the spirit of the agreement reached between the top leaders of the two countries.