.Chinese media confirm fact of Kim Jong-Il visit to China.

7/5 Tass 102

BEIJING, May 7 (Itar-Tass) - Chinese media have officially confirmed
the fact of the visit to China by Secretary General of the Workers' Party
of Korea (WPK) and Chairman of the State Defence Commission of North Korea
Kim Jong-Il that took place on May 3-7 at the invitation of Chinese
President Hu Jintao. The Xinhua news agency that reported this did not
specify, however, the main contents of the talks held between the two
heads of state.
According to Xinhua, Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Central
Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese president,
held talks in Beijing with Kim Jong-Il, general secretary of the Workers'
Party of Korea (WPK) and chairman of the National Defence Commission of
the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Kim paid an unofficial visit to China from May 3 to 7 as Hu's guest.
During their talks, Hu expressed warm welcome to Kim on behalf of the CPC,
Chinese government and people. Hu also expressed gratitude for the
condolence from the DPRK to earthquake-hit Yushu in northwest China, as
well as the DPRK's active participation in the World Expo in Shanghai, the
agency reported.
During Kim's stay in Beijing, Hu hosted a welcoming banquet in honour
of Kim and accompanied Kim in a visit to a biological company.
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, and Wen Jiabao, member of the Political Bureau
Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese premier, met
with Kim respectively, according to Xinhua.
Other members of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the CPC
Central Committee Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He
Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang, respectively accompanied Kim for the visiting
tour, the agency reported.
Hu said the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK is the
common treasures of the two governments, parties and peoples, and it is
the historical responsibility of the two sides to push forward their
friendship with the progress of the times and from generation to
generation. He said in recent years, Sino-DPRK relations have made
continuous achievements, and last year in particular, the two countries
celebrated the 60th anniversary of Sino-DPRK diplomatic ties and
successfully held the Year of Friendship, and the political contacts and
cooperation in all areas have been fruitful.
Strengthening Sino-DPRK friendly and cooperative relations is the
consistent policy of the Chinese party and government, he said. Hu said
China always handles, maintains and pushes forward the relations with the
DPRK in a strategic and long-term perspective, and will make joint efforts
with the DPRK to upgrade the relationship to benefit the two peoples and
to contribute to lasting regional peace and common prosperity.
Hu said boosting Sino-DPRK cooperation helps the two countries promote
their own socialist construction, and safeguard and develop the common
interests as well as regional peace, stability and prosperity, Xinhua
reported.
Hu put forward five proposals to strengthen ties with the DPRK:
--To maintain high-level contacts. The leaders of the two countries
should keep in touch by exchanging visits, as well as sending special
envoys and messages.
--To reinforce strategic coordination. The two sides should exchange
views in a timely manner and regularly on major domestic and diplomatic
issues, international and regional situation, as well as on governance
experience.
--To deepen economic and trade cooperation. The relevant departments
of the two governments should discuss and explore ways on expanding
economic and trade cooperation.
--To increase personnel exchanges. The two sides should expand
exchanges in the cultural, sports, and educational fields, and the
contacts between the youth in particular to inherit the traditional
friendship from generation to generation.
--To strengthen coordination in international and regional affairs to
better serve regional peace and stability.
Kim said he fully agrees with Hu's proposals on pragmatic cooperation
between the two countries.
The traditional DPRK-China friendship, established and cultivated by
leaders of old generations of the two states, has stood tests of the
times, and will not change due to the change of time and alteration of
generations, Kim said.
The series of celebration activities marking the 60th anniversary of
the establishment of bilateral ties last year lifted the DPRK-China
friendship to a new high in history, he said.
With the joint efforts from the two sides, sound momentum of
development has emerged in bilateral friendly exchanges and cooperation in
various fields, Kim said, noting the recent agreement on the construction
of a new bridge over the border river, the Yalu River, will become a new
symbol of DPRK-China friendly cooperation.
With the principle of mutual benefit and win-win, the DPRK side
welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest in the country and will actively
lift the level and quality of bilateral pragmatic cooperation, Kim said,
according to Xinhua.
Analysts believe t hat the main content of the talks between Hu and
Kim was economic cooperation between China and North Korea, as well as
prospects for the resumption of the six-party talks on the Korean
Peninsula's nuclear problem from which Pyongyang withdrew in April 2009.
It remains unclear if at the meeting the two leaders touched upon the
problem of the sunken warship Cheonan, in which Seoul sees a "North Korean
trace." Without the clarification of this situation the further
participation of South Korea in the six-party talks is still doubtful.
-0-ezh/ast


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