Present there on invitation were Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, Kim Song Nam, vice department director of the C.C., the Workers' Party of Korea, Pak Jae Gyong, vice-minister of the People's Armed Forces, and officials concerned and diplomatic envoys and embassy officials here. On hand were staff members of the Chinese embassy here and Chinese guests staying in the DPRK.

Liu Hongcai in his speech made at the reception noted that the Conference of the WPK was successfully held and General Secretary Kim Jong Il was reelected as general secretary of the WPK, adding that General Secretary Hu Jintao expressed his words of congratulations through his congratulatory message.

He expressed hope that the Korean people under the leadership of the WPK headed by Kim Jong Il would register greater success in their efforts to develop economy and improve the standards of their living.

Noting that it is the consistent policy of the Chinese party and government to steadily boost the Sino-DPRK friendly and cooperative relations, he said that China would join Korean comrades in putting the Sino-DPRK relations on a high stage.

Yang Hyong Sop in his speech noted that the Chinese people built a socialist state with the Chinese characteristics in the vast Chinese territory through strenuous struggle for the past 61 years.

Noting that the Chinese people have achieved many successes in an effort to carry out the scientific outlook on development and build a harmonious socialist society under the leadership of the Communist Party of China with Hu Jintao as its general secretary.

He reiterated the consistent stand of the WPK and the government of the DPRK to steadily consolidate and develop the traditional DPRK-China friendly and cooperative relations, expressing belief that the traditional bilateral relations of friendship and cooperation would grow stronger in the spirit of the agreement reached between the top leaders of the two countries.