Chinese top leader Hu Jintao and top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong-il held talks in Beijing, exchanging views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern, and reaching important and wide-ranging consensus.

 

 Kim, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and chairman of the National Defense Commission of the DPRK, 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, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese president, 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 (NPC), 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 good neighborly 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 while 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 that in recent years, with concerted efforts from both sides, the relations between the two parties and 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 good neighborly 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 good neighborly 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 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 prove 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 Guideline, the building of a socialist well-off society with harmonious development, and the great cause of realizing the reunification of the motherland.

 

The two leaders also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.

 

Describing the six-party talks as an efficient mechanism to solve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue appropriately, Hu reiterated China's principled stance, noting that it is a correct choice to properly settle the relevant problems by peaceful means through dialogues.

 

China is ready to unswervingly make joint efforts with relevant parties including the DPRK to promote the six-party talks process, he said.

 

Kim said his country will stick to the goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and fulfill the joint statement issued in the fourth round of six-party talks. The DPRK's stance on promoting the six-party talks process remains unchanged.

 

He said DPRK is willing to join hands with China to overcome the difficulties in the six-party talks.

 

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

 

Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo spoke highly of Kim's visit to China at the beginning of a new year, hoping that this visit would become an important opportunity for further promoting China-DPRK friendly relations.

 

Wu said in his meeting with Kim that China and the DPRK enjoy frequent high-level visits between the two countries and the two parties, and also witness increasingly active exchanges in various levels and fields.

 

The central collective leadership with Hu Jintao as general secretary, attaches great importance to China-DPRK friendship, Wu said, noting that China would develop relations with the DPRK in the spirit of carrying forward the tradition, looking forward to the future, developing good-neighborliness and friendship, and boosting cooperation.

 

China would continue to implement the important consensus of the general secretaries of the two parties in October last year and constantly enrich the content of the China-DPRK good-neighborly and friendly cooperation, in an effort to lift the party-to-party and state-to-state relations between the two sides into a new level, Wu said.

 

Wu also briefed Kim on the situation of China's reform and opening-up, noting that China is ready to further increase exchanges with the DPRK of the views on country governance and economic development.

 

Kim agreed with Wu's evaluation of the China-DPRK relations. Expressing his appreciation of the Chinese people's selfless assistance and generous support to the DPRK people for a long time, Kim said the DPRK people would be educated by this to ensure to pass on the DPRK-China friendship from generation to generation.

 

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors. The two countries should further expand cooperation in various fields on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and respect in a bid to benefit the two peoples and promote regional peace and stability.

 

China-DPRK trade and economic cooperation is an important part of bilateral relations, he said. It is important to stick to the principle of government guidance, enterprise participation and market operation.

 

Wen suggested both countries give full play to the role of the bilateral joint committee of trade, economy and technology, continue to explore new fields and ways for cooperation, and raise the level of China-DPRK trade and economic cooperation.

 

Wen also briefed Kim about China's current economic situation and its 11th Five-Year Guideline.

 

Kim expressed congratulations on the remarkable achievements China has made in its economic and social development.

 

He said the DPRK is glad to see that China's new collective leadership attaches great importance to further enriching the new contents of DPRK-China friendly cooperative ties under the new circumstances.

 

Kim said he is very satisfied with DPRK-China cooperation in the fields of trade, economy and personnel training. DPRK is willing to join hands with China to learn from each other, share experience, enhance cooperation and promote greater achievements of DPRK-China traditional friendship in various fields, in a bid to benefit the two countries and two peoples.

 

During his tour in the cities of Wuhan, Yichang, Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Shenzhen, Kim visited with great interest about a dozen enterprises and institutes in the fields of industry, agriculture, science and technology, and education.

 

He said the achievements in China, especially in Guangdong, as a result of the reform and opening-up policy, have fully demonstrated the vitality and potential of China's economic development.

 

Kim said he was greatly impressed and benefited quite a lot through the visit, noting that China's comprehensive national strength has been growing, and the social outlook has been changing day by day.

 

He said he had a more comprehensive understanding of China, and understood better the CPC and Chinese government's policies of emancipating the mind, valuing talented people, making independent creation, and promoting the comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable social and economic development.

 

China has been following a path featuring its own characteristics, Kim said. The DPRK also attaches great attention to economic expansion and is ready to further enhance the exchanges and cooperation with China, so as to explore a development path in line with the DPRK's national situation.

 

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.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 19, 2006)