Kim Jong-Il, leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK), on Wednesday met with visiting Chinese presidential envoy
Tang
Jiaxuan to discuss Sino-DPRK relations and issues related to
six-party nuclear talks.
Tang conveyed a message from Chinese President Hu Jintao
to Kim, saying that the Chinese Communist Party and government
highly respect the long-standing friendship between China and the
DPRK, and that China is ready to make joint efforts with the DPRK
to further boost relations.
On the impending fourth round of six-party nuclear talks
scheduled for late July, Hu expressed hope that the talks would
achieve substantial progress through close exchanges and
cooperation between the two countries.
For his part, Kim said the denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula is the DPRK's goal. He hoped that the mechanism of the
six-party talks could help in the realization of this
objective.
"The DPRK expects the next round of talks to be held on time and
make positive progress," Kim told Tang.
Kim also expressed his appreciation for China's unremitting
efforts towards the resumption of the six-party talks.
Tang, a state councilor and former foreign minister, arrived in
Pyongyang on Tuesday morning and is expected to stay until
Thursday.
He was received by Kim Yong-nam, president of the presidium of
the DPRK's Supreme People's Assembly, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall
in Pyongyang early on Wednesday.
Tang visited the Kumsusan Memorial Palace to pay tribute to late
DPRK President Kim Il Sung.
He also laid a wreath before the Sino-DPRK Friendship Tower to
commemorate the soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteers who
fought in the Korean War.
(Xinhua News Agency July 14, 2005)
