Kim Jong Il meets with CPC official

Kim Jong Il (front, R), top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), shakes hands with Wang Jiarui (2nd, L), head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in Pyongyang, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on Jan. 23, 2009. (Xinhua Photo) Kim Jong Il (front, C), top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and Wang Jiarui (front, L2), head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, have a group photo taken, in Pyongyang, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on Jan. 23, 2009. (Xinhua Photo) Kim Jong Il (front, R), top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), talks with Wang Jiarui (front, L), head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in Pyongyang, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on Jan. 23, 2009. (Xinhua Photo) Kim Jong Il, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), met with Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in Pyongyang on Friday. Wang delivered a letter to Kim from Chinese President Hu Jintao. In his letter, Hu, on behalf of the CPC, the Chinese government and people, extended Spring Festival greetings to the DPRK party, government and people. This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the DPRK, and 2009 is also the "Year of the China-DPRK Friendship," the Chinese president noted in the letter. The China-DPRK friendship and cooperative relations fostered by leaders of the older generation of the two countries have been developing constantly and are becoming ever stronger, Hu said in the letter. China has all along treasured its relations with the DPRK and is ready to work with it to broaden and deepen bilateral cooperation and exchanges in various fields, according to the letter. The DPRK government and people will certainly make greater achievements under the strong leadership of the Workers' Party led by Kim, he added. The Chinese president also invited Kim to visit China once again. Kim gladly accepted the invitation, saying his country has always highly valued its ties with China, and will continue to do so in the future, as it is the consistent stance of the DPRK. The "Year of DPRK-China Friendship" launched at the 60th anniversary of the two nations' diplomatic ties was aimed to help the younger generations of both countries to understand the significance of the DPRK-China traditional friendship, Kim said. On Thursday, Wang met with Kim Yong II, prime minister of the DPRK. Wang arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday at the invitation of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Editor: Pliny Han Source: Xinhua

http://www.gov.cn/misc/2009-01/23/content_1213806.htm