China, as a friendly neighbor of North Korea, always provides North Korea with aid to the best of its ability, Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) said Sunday.

"The newly established Tae-an Friendship Glass Factory, which was built with aid from China, is an innovative project in providing assistance to better people's life in North Korea," Wang told a press briefing on President Hu Jintao's North Korea visit on Sunday.

"Both Chinese and North Korean leaders highly praised the new pattern for providing assistance and agreed to continue similar cooperation in future," Wang said.

"China not only provides North Korea with economic aid, but also helps it build factory. We will render help to the best of our ability when North Korea faces difficulties." he said.

Wang said China's policy toward neighboring countries is to foster an amicable, peaceful and prosperous neighborhood.

"The policy can't be interpreted in a narrow way," Wang said, "China and North Korea exchange views on developing domestic economy, science and technology and education, which are the embodiment of the policy," he said.

After ending the three-day official good-will visit to North Korea, Hu returned to Beijing on Sunday morning. Wang was in Hu's entourage. While in Pyongyang, Hu held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and the two countries signed an agreement on economic and technological cooperation.

(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2005)