Present there on invitation were Liu Yunshan, member of the Political Bureau, member of the Secretariat and head of the Publicity Department of the C.C., the Communist Party of China, Zhang Yannong, president of the People's Daily, Zhang Zhijun, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Liu Jieyi, deputy head of the International Liaison Department of the C.C., the CPC, and others of China.

Ambassador Ji Jae Ryong and staff members of the DPRK embassy were on hand.

Ji Jae Ryong said that the Workers' Party of Korea and the army and people of the DPRK are pushing forward the general offensive to bring about a decisive turn in improving the people's standard of living and building a thriving nation, rallied close around Kim Jong Il.

Songun Korea is sure to win victory in the present advance for great surge as long as there are his wise guidance and the unbreakable single-minded unity of the soldiers and people, the ambassador stressed.

Noting that Kim Jong Il visited China twice last year, he declared that the DPRK will strive to bring the flower garden of traditional bilateral friendship into fuller bloom this year marking the 50th anniversary of the signing of the DPRK-China Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance.

Liu Yunshan said that the Chinese people are rejoiced over the fresh successes made by the WPK and the Korean people in the drive to develop the economy, improve external relations and realize the independent and peaceful reunification of the country under the leadership of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.

He noted that Kim Jong Il is showing deep care for the development of the bilateral relations.

Liu expressed the resolution to work hard to provide a rosy future of the Sino-DPRK relations in the future, too.