Present there on invitation were Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Choe Yong Rim, premier of the Cabinet, Kim Ki Nam and Choe Thae Bok, secretaries of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kang Sok Ju, vice-premier of the Cabinet, Pak Ui Chun, minister of Foreign Affairs, Ri Ryong Nam, minister of Foreign Trade, Choe Chang Sik, minister of Public Health who doubles as chairman of the C.C., the DPRK-China Friendship Association, Kim Jong Suk, chairwoman of the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, and others.

Present there were staff members of the Chinese embassy here, Chinese guests staying in the DPRK, Chinese students and residents.

Liu Hongcai said at the banquet that the two parties, two governments and two peoples have struggled shoulder to shoulder against the aggression by outside forces both in the period of the struggle for national independence and liberation and in the period of the socialist revolution and construction.

General Secretary Kim Jong Il visited China for several times and met with leading officials of the Chinese party and state including General Secretary Hu Jintao and clarified the orientation of the development of Sino-DPRK relations, he stressed.

He expressed conviction that the relations between the two parties and the two countries would greet more beautiful future thanks to the joint efforts by the two sides.

Kim Ki Nam said in his speech that the glorious course covered by the CPC over the last nine decades taught the Chinese people the profound truth that there is no new China without the CPC.

A series of historic meetings held by the top leaders of the two parties marked an important occasion in helping the two parties and peoples of the two countries boost their friendship and solidarity and dynamically promoting the socialist constructions in the two countries, he added.

It is the consistent stand of the WPK and the DPRK government to boost and carry forward the DPRK-China friendly and cooperative relations through generations, he said, declaring: We will make every possible effort together with the Chinese comrades to satisfactorily implement the issues agreed upon between the top leaders of the two parties in various fields.

Meanwhile, Chinese Consul General in Chongjin Dong Minjie arranged a reception on Wednesday.