President Hu applauds deep Sino-DPRK friendship

President Hu meets with Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Oct. 19, 2004.

China is ready to strengthen the friendly, good-neighborly and cooperative relations with the Democratic People's Republic Korea (DPRK), Chinese President Hu Jintao said Tuesday.

Hu made the remarks during a meeting with Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, who arrived here Monday morning for an official goodwill visit to China.

Hu and Kim exchanged views in a cordial and friendly way, discussing the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula. Both expressed the willingness to continue to work to rid the peninsula of nuclear weapons, seek peaceful solution to the issue through dialogues and maintain peace and stability of the peninsula.

Applauding the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK as a common wealth of the two countries, Hu said China places high importance on the development of Sino-DPRK relations.

Hu said under the guidelines of carrying forward tradition, facing the future, being good neighbors and friends and strengthening cooperation, China will continue to step up exchanges and cooperation between the Communist Party of China and the Workers' Party of Korea, and between the two countries.

China is ready to enhance bilateral cooperation and coordination in regional and international affairs, added Hu.

Kim highly praised the policy of friendship that China has pursued toward the DPRK. In the complicated and ever changing international situation, the DPRK will carry forward and further develop the friendship between the two countries and push bilateral cooperation to a new level in a down to earth manner.

This is the firm policy of the DPRK government and the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim said.