Present there on invitation were members of the delegation led by Head Wang Jiarui and Ambassador Liu Hongcai and staff members of the Chinese embassy here.

Secretary Kim Yong Il and other officials of the department of the WPK Central Committee were present there.

Kim Yong Il made a speech there.

He said that leader Kim Jong Il visited China eight times in the new century while making big efforts to consolidate the DPRK-China friendship.

The dear respected Kim Jong Un is deeply interested in the development of the friendly relations with China, true to the noble intention of Kim Jong Il, he said.

He hoped that the Chinese people would greet the 18th Congress of the CPC with proud achievements under the leadership of the party with Hu Jintao as its General Secretary and register greater success in the work to build a comprehensively well-off socialist society.

We will in the future, too, join the Chinese comrades in steadily developing the traditional DPRK-China friendship as desired by Kim Jong Il, he stressed.

Wang Jiarui said:

Leader Kim Jong Il made a great contribution to the development of the Korean revolution and bilateral relations of friendship.

He wished the Korean people under the guidance of First Secretary Kim Jong Un fresh and great success in socialist construction.

It is the mission of the two parties and countries of China and the DPRK to creditably pave the future of the traditional Sino-Korean friendship with concerted efforts, he said, adding that it is the fixed policy of the Chinese party and government to consolidate and boost the traditional friendly relations between the two countries.