Present there on invitation were Kim Ki Nam and Kim Yong Il, secretaries of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim Song Nam, vice department director of the C.C., the WPK, Kim Hyong Jun, vice foreign minister of the DPRK and officials concerned.

Staff members of the Chinese embassy attended.

Liu in his speech at the reception said that entering the new century General Secretary Kim Jong Il together with the Chinese leaders developed onto a new higher stage the traditional friendship between the two countries provided by the revolutionaries of the elder generation.

His historic visits to China laid the firm foundation for boosting the bilateral relations and made positive contribution to the regional peace and stability, Liu noted, stressing that the feats performed by Kim Jong Il in boosting the Sino-DPRK friendly and cooperative relations will be everlasting.

Liu sincerely wished the Korean people fresher achievements in the work to successfully carry out the behests of Kim Jong Il under the leadership of the dear respected Kim Jong Un.

Kim Ki Nam in his speech said the supreme leaders of the two countries reached common understanding of the issue of boosting the friendship between the DPRK and China generation after generation.

He hoped that the Chinese people would make greater advance in their cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics under the guidance of the Communist Party of China and greet the 18th Party Congress with success.

He expressed his belief that the traditional DPRK-China friendship would invariably grow stronger by the joint efforts of the two parties and peoples.