Top leaders of China, DPRK hold talks in Beijing

Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese president, held talks in Beijing with Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

During their talks, Hu and Kim exchanged views amid a warm and candid atmosphere on furthering relations between the two parties and the two countries, and on international and regional issues of common concern. Important and wide-ranging consensus has been reached.

Kim paid an unofficial visit to China from Jan. 10 to 18 as Hu's guest. During his stay in China, Kim visited central China's Hubei Province, south China's Guangdong Province and China's capital Beijing.

Hu hosted a welcoming banquet in honor of Kim in Beijing and accompanied Kim in a visit to a crop research institute under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Wu Bangguo, member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, and Wen Jiabao, member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese premier, met with Kim respectively.

Members of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong, Huang Ju, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan accompanied Kim in his visiting tours or took part in related activities.

Hu, on behalf of the CPC, and the Chinese government and people, extended a warm welcome to Kim.

To maintain close contacts between top leaders of the two sides is a major characteristic of China-DPRK goodneighborly friendship, Hu said, adding that since Kim became the WPK's general secretary, leaders of the two sides have had exchanges of visits with fruitful results each time.

Under the current circumstances when international and regional situations are undergoing profound and complicated changes, said Hu, to further advance the relations between the two parties and the two countries is in line with the common interests of the two countries and conducive to the peace, stability and development in Northeast Asia.

He said in recent years, with concerted efforts from both sides, the relations between the two parties and the two countries have made new progress, and the two countries have scored new achievements in economic and trade cooperation of mutual benefit and maintained close consultation and cooperation in international and regional issues.

Sino-DPRK traditional friendship is the common treasure of the two parties, countries and peoples, said Hu. It is an unswerving strategic guideline of the CPC and the Chinese government to consolidate and develop bilateral goodneighborly friendship and cooperation.

Hu said the Chinese side will make joint efforts with the DPRK to continuously inject new vigor and vitality into bilateral traditional friendship and push forward the growth of bilateral goodneighborly friendship and cooperation so as to bring more benefits to the two countries and their peoples and contribute more to the peace, stability and prosperity in Northeast Asia and the world at large.

Kim expressed his thanks for Hu's invitation and hospitality and his pleasure at meeting with Hu again after their meeting in Pyongyang in October last year.

Kim said the DPRK-China relationship has been cultivated by leaders of old generations of the two countries and carried forward under the new circumstances. The friendship has not only pushed forward the socialist construction of the two countries, but also promoted peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula, Northeast Asia and the world at large.

He said the WPK and the DPRK government will, as always, further explore bilateral cooperative potentials in various fields, especially in the economic field, conduct cooperation in the principles of meeting each other's needs, reciprocity and win-win, and make every effort for the better development of bilateral friendship.

Hu spoke positively of the DPRK's domestic construction and said the CPC and the Chinese government and people sincerely hope for political stability, economic prosperity and people's happiness in the DPRK, and are delighted to see the DPRK's achievements in building a strong and prosperous country.

Hu said the Chinese side will, as always, support the WPK's, and the DPRK government and people's active exploration of a development path conforming with the country's own conditions.

He said he is convinced that the DPRK side will, under Kim's leadership, make new achievements in building a strong and prosperous country with unity and arduous work.

Kim said that under the leadership of the CPC, China has made great achievements in socialist modernization construction with Chinese characteristics and in the reform and opening-up drive.

He attributed China's remarkable development to the important thought of Three Represents, concept of scientific development, and building a socialist harmonious society. These guidelines and policies put forward by the CPC conform with China's own conditions.

Kim said that during his visit in China, he witnessed the outstanding achievements in various fields in South China, especially the special economic zones. China's new look and vigorous development gave him a deep impression and fully proves that China's reform and opening-up policy is correct.

He said the WPK and the DPRK government and people feel delighted with China's development and congratulate China on the progress.

He said the DPRK firmly believes that the hard-working Chinese people will, under the CPC's leadership with Hu as the general secretary, make new and greater achievements in fulfilling the goal mapped out in the 11th Five-Year Program, the building of a socialist well-off society with harmonious development, and the great cause of realizing the reunification of the motherland.

The two sides also briefed each other on the two countries' economic and social development.

Senior Chinese officials Liu Qi, Wu Yi, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Guo Boxiong, Zeng Peiyan, Wang Gang and Tang Jiaxuan accompanied Kim in the visit or attended related activities.

Kim's entourage included the DPRK Premier Pak Bong Ju, and senior officials with the DPRK's foreign ministry, the financial planning department and the science and education department of the WPK Central Committee and the DPRK cabinet.

Source: Xinhua