Chen, who is also deputy secretary of the Liaoning Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, is on a visit to the DPRK as head of the Liaoning provincial party and government delegation.

During the stay the delegation has witnessed the Korean people working hard to open the gate to a thriving nation before the centenary birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung, he noted.

We heartily hope that the Korean people will register greater achievements by successfully carrying out the tasks in various fields under the leadership of General Secretary Kim Jong Il, the governor said.

China and the DPRK have traditional relationship of friendship, he said, adding:

The bilateral friendship was provided by President Kim Il Sung, the respected leader of the Korean people, and Chairman Mao Zedong and other Chinese revolutionaries of the elder generation.

This friendship is steadily developing under the deep care of the leaders of the two countries.

Kim Jong Il's visit to China in May was of weighty significance in putting the bilateral friendly and cooperative relations on a higher level.

The Chinese party and government are consistently attaching importance to these relations and promoting them.

Everything changes with passage of time, but the friendship and solidarity between the two countries and the two peoples remain unchanged.