Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, Thursday received the high-ranking military delegation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army led by Li Jinai, member of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China and director of the General Political Department of the CPLA, on a visit to the DPRK.

Present there were General Kim Jong Un, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK, Ri Yong Ho, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the C.C., the WPK and chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, Jang Song Thaek, alternate member of the Political Bureau of the C.C., the WPK and vice-chairman of the NDC, Kim Jong Gak, alternate member of the Political Bureau of the C.C., the WPK and first vice department director of the General Political Bureau of the KPA, and KPA Generals Kim Won Hong and Pak Jae Gyong.

Present there from the Chinese side were Li Jinai, Lieut. Gen. Ding Jiye, deputy director of the CPLA General Logistics Department, Lieut. Gen. Chen Xiaogong, deputy commander of the Air Force, Lieut. Gen. Wang Dengping, political commissar of the North Sea Fleet of the Navy, Lieut. Gen. Zhao Zongqi, chief of the Staff of the Jinan Military Area, Major General Kan Likui, vice-director of the Operation Department of the General Staff of the CPLA, Major General Ci Guowei, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Ministry of National Defense, Major General Li Fengshan, deputy secretary-general of the General Office of the General Political Department of the CPLA, Chinese Ambassador Liu Hongcai and Military, Naval and Air Attache Sun Yanfeng of the Chinese embassy here.

Li Jinai conveyed Kim Jong Il the warm greetings of the members of the collective leadership of the Communist Party of China including Hu Jintao, general secretary of the C.C., the Communist Party of China and president of the People's Republic of China.

Li Jinai expressed most heartfelt thanks to Kim Jong Il for receiving the high-ranking military delegation of the CPLA by sparing his precious time though he was very busy leading the building of a thriving nation.

Li Jinai gave his impressions of the DPRK, saying he was particularly and deeply moved to see for himself the signal successes made by the fraternal people and army of the DPRK in various fields under the leadership of the WPK headed by General Secretary Kim Jong Il.

The traditional Sino-DPRK friendship forged and cultivated by the leaders of the elder generation of the two countries have entered a new stage of development under the deep care of Hu Jintao and Kim Jong Il, he said.

In recent years there was a brisk exchange of high-ranking delegations between the two countries and important agreements were reached on developing the friendly and cooperative relations and bilateral exchange and cooperation in various fields including politics, economy and military affairs have registered steady and abundant achievements, he noted.

It is the steadfast policy of the party, government and army of China to put into practice the common understandings reached between the leaders of the two countries and boost the friendly and cooperative relations between the peoples of the two countries, between the armies, in particular, he added.

Kim Jong Il warmly welcomed the visit of the high-ranking military delegation of the CPLA to the DPRK and asked Li Jinai to pass his warm regards to the members of the collective leadership of the CPC including Hu Jintao and the fraternal army and people of China.

The armies of the two countries have played a positive role in developing the DPRK-China friendly relations in the past, he expressed the belief that there would be no change in the sense of revolutionary obligation and class principle between the armies and peoples of the two countries no matter how the situation may change in the future.

Li Jinai presented Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un with the gifts prepared by him with his best wishes.

Kim Jong Il expressed deep thanks for this.

He hosted a dinner in honor of the guests.

The dinner proceeded in an amicable atmosphere overflowing with friendship.