Present there on invitation were Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Wang Jiarui, head of the International Liaison Department of the CPC Central Committee, Zhang Yannong, president of the People's Daily of China, and others and officials concerned.

DPRK Ambassador to China Ji Jae Ryong and staff members of his embassy were present there.

Ji Jae Ryong in his speech at the reception said Kim Jong Il made a great contribution to boosting the traditional DPRK-China relations of friendship. He is always alive as the sun in the hearts of the Korean and Chinese peoples and progressive mankind, Ji noted.

Ji expressed the will to make every possible effort to develop the DPRK-China friendly relations onto a higher stage.

Li Changchun said that the contributions made by Kim Jong Il to promoting the traditional Sino-DPRK relations of friendship and cooperation will always be remembered by the Chinese people.

He expressed the will to boost the traditional Sino-DPRK friendly relations in the spirit of inheriting the tradition, facing up to the future, building good-neighborly friendship and strengthening cooperation in the future, too.

Meanwhile, a book and photo exhibition was held at the DPRK consulate-general in Shenyang on Feb. 10.