Kim Jong-il, the top leader of North Korea and general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, met in Pyongyang Tuesday with Liu Yunshan, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

Liu conveyed a message to Kim from Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, in which Hu says the new CPC leadership would continue to attach great importance to and cherish the traditional friendship between China and North Korea.

China is willing to work with North Korea to implement the significant understandings reached by the two sides in recent years, further deepen the friendly cooperative relations between two countries and make greater contribution to realizing sustained peace and common prosperity in the region, said Hu in the message.

Kim told Liu that North Korea highly values the friendship with China, saying the friendship, which was founded by the older generations of the two countries' leaders, would not be changed as situation or generations change.

"We're willing to work with China to strengthen communication and coordination and push forward the bilateral relations," said Kim.

Liu said that the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields have been stepped up in recent years and that the two countries have coordinated closely on international and regional issues.

The Chinese side will continue to be devoted to pushing forward the relations between the two countries and the two parties, said the CPC official.

Liu also made positive comments on the achievements North Korea has made in recent years in developing its economy, overcoming natural disasters and improving the people's livelihood, adding that the CPC and the Chinese government will firmly support as always the North Korean people in exploring a development path that confirms to the actual situation in the country.

Kim said that the Chinese people, under the leadership of the CPC with Hu Jintao as the general secretary, had made a series of great achievements in building a harmonious society.

The successful convening of the 17th National Congress of the CPC would make the CPC stronger and it would push ahead more strongly with the building of socialism with Chinese characteristics, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2007)