Agreeing with Hu, Kim said this year is the 55th anniversary ofbilateral diplomatic ties and it is a year of significance for the development of bilateral relations at the beginning of the new century. It is the common aspiration and will of the two parties and the two peoples to further strengthen and develop the DPRK-China friendship. The history in the past half a century has proved that the basis of bilateral relations is as firm as monolith.

    China's new collective leadership, after taking office for morethan a year, has stuck to the consistent policy on consolidating and developing bilateral relations and made positive efforts to this end, which made us feel greatly encouraged, said Kim, noting that the DPRK side will join the Chinese side in inheriting the tradition of close cooperation between the two parties and the twocountries and making new efforts for consolidating and developing bilateral friendly and cooperative relations.

    Hu spoke positively of the DPRK's achievements in recent years. He said that in recent years, the DPRK party and people, under Kim's leadership, have carried forward the spirit of self-reliance and arduous work, overcome many difficulties, scored great accomplishments in the process of building a strong and prosperouscountry, and continuously made new progresses in improving the external environment, with which the Chinese side is sincerely delighted.

    Hu reiterated that China supports the DPRK party's and people'sadherence to its socialist development direction, the DPRK comrades' active exploration of a development path suited to its own conditions, the independent and peaceful reunification proposed and adhered to by the DPRK side, and the DPRK's efforts to improve the international environment.

    Kim expressed his admiration for the remarkable achievements ofChina's new collective leadership in the great cause of realizing China's rejuvenation.

    He said the DPRK side is very pleased to see that China's new collective leadership, under the guidance of the important thoughtof "Three Represents" and in the principles of people first and governance for the people, has closely united and led the whole Chinese people in winning the fight against SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) epidemic in a very short period of time, achieving a rapid economic growth, succeeding in launching its first manned spacecraft, and noticeably increasing its international status and influence.

    He said the DPRK side believes that China is bound to realize its strategic goal of building a comprehensively well-off society by the year 2020. He reiterated that the DPRK party and governmentwill, as always, support China's position on the Taiwan issue, wishing China an early completion of its reunification cause.

    Leaders of the two parties and the two countries exchanged in-depth views on peacefully solving the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula. Both sides fully reaffirmed the positive results of theBeijing tri-party talks and the two rounds of six-party talks, andagreed to continue the position on solving the issue through dialogue and in a peaceful way, and jointly pushing forward the six-party talks process, so as to make contributions to the final,peaceful solution.

    Hu stressed that China, as a neighbor of the Korean Peninsula, has been committed to safeguarding peace and stability on the peninsula, supports a nuclear-weapon-free Korean Peninsula, supports a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue through dialogue,and upholds that the DPRK's rational concerns should be addressed.

    Kim highly valued the Chinese party's and government's positivestance on and important contributions to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. He said the DPRK side sticks to the final nuclear-weapon-free goal and its basic position on seeking a peaceful solution through dialogue has not changed. The DPRK side will continue to take a patient and flexible manner and actively participate in the six-party talks process, and make its own contributions to the progress of the talks.

    The DPRK side appreciated China's assistance to the DPRK in supporting its economic construction.

    Kim invited Hu to visit the DPRK at his convenience. Hu accepted Kim's invitation with pleasure.

    Upon Kim's departure, Hu went to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse to bid farewell to Kim. Enditem