Present there on invitation were members of the delegation headed by Col. General Guo Boxiong, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China, Liu Hongcai, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK, and Sun Yanfeng, military, naval and air attache of the embassy here.

Present there were Vice Marshal of the Korean People's Army Ri Yong Ho, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea and chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, KPA General Kim Jong Gak, member of the DPRK National Defence Commission and first vice director of the General Political Bureau of the KPA, and Pak Jae Gyong, vice-minister of the People's Armed Forces, KPA Generals Jong Myong Do and Ri Pyong Chol, KPA Col. General Kim Myong Hwan and general officers and officers of the KPA.

Ri Yong Ho made a speech at the banquet.

He said that the visit of the Chinese high-ranking military delegation greatly encourages the army and people of the DPRK in the building of a great prosperous and powerful nation true to the Songun revolutionary leadership of Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il and it will mark an important occasion in developing the friendly and cooperative relations between the armies of the two countries on a new higher level.

He noted that the ties of DPRK-China friendship sealed in blood grew stronger in the course of waging a heroic war of resistance against the U.S. imperialist aggressors, the common enemy.

He stressed that the DPRK-China friendship which President Kim Il Sung created and tended with Chinese revolutionaries of the elder generation is now growing stronger under the deep care of the top leaders of the two countries.

He expressed belief that the friendly and cooperative relations would grow stronger thanks to the concerted efforts.

He wished the army and people of China greater successes in their work to build socialism with Chinese characteristics and develop the CPLA into powerful elite forces under the leadership of the Communist Party of China with Hu Jintao as its general secretary.

Guo Boxiong in his speech stressed that the bilateral relations of friendship and cooperation which have steadily developed thanks to the joint efforts of the two sides have played an important role in accelerating socialist construction and maintaining the regional peace and stability.

He said he witnessed the big successes achieved by the Korean people and army in building a thriving nation under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea headed by General Secretary Kim Jong Il.

He expressed warm congratulations to the successful Conference of the WPK which is of weighty significance for the prosperity of the DPRK.

He referred to the fact that 60 years ago the peoples and armies of the two countries waged death-defying struggle shoulder to shoulder to win the great victory and recorded a shining chapter of the Sino-DPRK friendship.

He said that through the current visit of the delegation it was convinced of the prospect of the development of the relations of friendship and cooperation between the armies of the two countries in the new century.