Two top officials of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) vowed Wednesday afternoon to advance friendship between the two countries.

Jia Qinglin (R), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), shakes hands with Pak Bong Ju, premier of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), in Beijing, capital of China March 23, 2005.

China and the DPRK have been witnessing growth of their friendship in recent years, Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), told visiting DPRK Premier Pak Bong Ju.

Chinese leader Hu Jintao and DPRK leader Kim Jong-il have reached important consensus on bilateral ties and many other issues of common concern, Jia said. It is in the common interests of both sides for them to consolidate and develop their friendship, he added.

Jia told Pak that China is willing to work with the DPRK to further advance the friendly cooperative relations between the two countries under new conditions.

Pak said it is the DPRK's unswerving policy to carry forward and develop the DPRK-China friendship.

The DPRK highly appreciates China's policy of friendship with the DPRK and is ready to join hands with China to make unremitting efforts to expand the friendship forged by older-generation leaders of the two countries, he said.

Pak, as guest of his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao, arrived here Tuesday morning for his first official visit to China after taking office in 2003.

Besides Beijing, Pak will visit Shanghai in east China and Shenyang and Anshan in northeast China.