Jiang Zemin, chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC), met in Beijing with Kim Jong-il, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), a spokesman with the International Department of the CPC Central Committee said Wednesday.

Jiang extended welcome to Kim and expressed his appreciation for Kim's positive efforts for and important contributions to maintaining and developing the friendly and cooperative relations between the two parties and the two countries.

He said that he feels gratified with the good inheritance and development of the Sino-DPRK traditional friendship fostered by the leaders of elder generations of the two countries, under joint efforts of both sides.

Under the complicated and volatile international circumstances, frequent, in-depth and frank exchanges and communication between leaders of the two parties and the two countries play an important and indispensable role in strengthening bilateral cooperation and coordination, Jiang said.

Jiang voiced his belief that China's new collective leadership will work with the DPRK comrades to continue their efforts to make new contributions to the development of the friendship in the new century.

Kim said the third generation of China's leadership with Jiang Zemin at the core made great contributions to the development of DPRK-China friendly and cooperative relations.

He said the DPRK side is willing to join hands with China's new collective leadership to continuously open up new prospect of DPRK-China friendly and cooperative relations.

Kim paid an unofficial visit to China from April 19 to 21 at the invitation of General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese President Hu Jintao.

(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2004)