Liu Qi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met in Beijing Monday with a good-will inspection group of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).

 

The inspection group, headed by Chang Song Taek, the first vice director of the WPK Central Committee's department in charge of mass organization and construction of capital city, paid the visit to China from March 18 at the invitation of the CPC.

 

Liu, also secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, said China and North Korea enjoy sound development of bilateral relations at present, with vitality increasingly emerging.

 

The sound development of China-North Korea relations not only brings concrete benefits to the two peoples, but also plays important contribution to the peace, stability and development of the region and the world at large, Liu noted.

 

Liu said the CPC and the Chinese government attach great importance to the China-North Korea friendship, and firmly take it as a strategic guideline to constantly cement and promote the China- North Korea friendly and cooperative relations.

 

Under the joint efforts of both sides, China and North Korea would witness more fruitful development of bilateral relations, Liu noted.

 

The group of the WPK had made the inspection tour in Central China's Hubei Province and South China's Guangdong Province during this trip.

 

Chang said this inspection tour was very rewarding, and they could sense Chinese people's friendly sentiments for the North Korean people.

 

The North Korea-China friendly and cooperative relations would get further development under the concerns of top leaders of the WPK and the CPC, Chang noted.

 

The two sides also exchanged views on both countries' domestic situations.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 28, 2006)