Beijing, September 7 (KCNA) -- The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the China-Korea Friendship Association co-hosted a reception in Beijing on Tuesday on the 63rd anniversary of the founding of the DPRK.

Present there on invitation were Ji Jae Ryong, DPRK ambassador to China, and staff members of the DPRK embassy.

Peng Zuoku, vice-president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and Wu Donghe, chairman of the China-Korea Friendship Association, and other officials concerned were present there.

Speeches were made there.

Wu Donghe referred to the fact that under the wise leadership of President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il the Korean people have achieved great successes in socialist construction.

Kim Jong Il paid a historic visit to Northeast China again in the wake of his visit to China in May, he said, and went on: This clearly shows the unbreakable traditional Sino-DPRK friendship.

Noting that the next year marks the centenary of birth of President Kim Il Sung, he sincerely wished the Korean people greater success in building a thriving socialist nation.

He expressed belief that the Sino-DPRK relations of friendship and cooperation would develop in a wider range and the traditional friendship would remain shining generation after generation thanks to the deep care of the leaders of the two countries and by the concerted efforts of the parties, governments and peoples of the two countries.

The DPRK ambassador praised the feats Kim Il Sung, founder of the DPRK and father of socialist Korea, performed in the nation-building. His cause is successfully carried forward by Kim Jong Il, the ambassador said, adding:

Kim Jong Il visited China twice this year, putting the traditional relations of friendship between the DPRK and China on a new higher stage.

He reiterated the will to join the Chinese comrades in making every effort to steadily develop the traditional DPRK-China friendly and cooperative relations in the future, too.