On the afternoon of September 3, Jiang Zemin,
General Secretary of the Communist Party of China
(CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President held
talks with Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of the Workers'
Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee and Chairman of the
National Defense Commission, at the State Guesthouse in
Pyongyang. The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views
on the further development of China-DPRK relations in the
new century and major international and regional issues of
common concern and reached broad
consensus.
Jiang first expressed gladness to
meet Kim again in 8 months and sincere gratitude for the
warm reception accorded him to Kim, other political and
military leaders in the DPRK and the people from all walks
of life in Pyongyang.
Jiang said that he still
remembers his meeting with Chairman Kim Il Sung during his
last visit to the DPRK in 1990. In the past decade, despite
great changes in the international situation and the
domestic situations in China and the DPRK, China-DPRK
traditional friendship initiated and nurtured by the old
generation of Chinese and Korean leaders has not changed and
been further carried on and developed under new
circumstances. Jiang noted that Kim's two recent visits to
China, one in May last year and the other in January this
year, further enhanced mutual understandings, trust and
friendship between the two parties, countries and peoples,
and contributed to bilateral exchanges and cooperation in
various fields and promoted the consolidation and
development of the friendly relations and cooperation
between the two Parties and countries. He expressed the
belief that his current visit to the DPRK will make new
contributions to China-DPRK friendship in the new
century.
Jiang said that he reached important
consensus with Kim on how to further develop relations
between the two Parties and countries in May last year in
Beijing. Looking back upon the development process in terms
of relations between the two Parties and countries over the
past year, we are satisfied with the positive efforts to
conscientiously implement the consensus and achievements
made. It is a firm guideline of the Chinese Communist Party
and the government to consolidate and develop the
traditional China-DPRK ties of friendship and cooperation
initiated and promoted by the late Comrade Mao Zedong, Zhou
Enlai and Deng Xiaoping and Chairman Kim Il Sung. He pledged
China's concerted efforts in the new century with the DPRK
party, government and people, to elevate bilateral ties to a
new high in the spirit of carrying on the good tradition,
looking forward to the future, promoting bilateral ties of
good neighborliness and friendship and enhancing
cooperation.
Kim first extended a
warm welcome to Jiang for his friendly visit to the DPRK. He
said that with the profound care of the leaders of the two
countries, friendly relations and cooperation between the
Parties, governments and peoples of the DPRK and China have
developed very well. Jiang visit to the DPRK, following my
visit to China in May last year and January this year, is of
great importance to further strengthening and developing
traditional DPRK-China friendship.
Kim
emphasized that closer friendship and cooperation in various
fields between the DPRK and China not only conduces to the
interests of the two countries, but also contributes to
peace and development in Asia and the world at large. It is
the consistent position of the DPRK party and government to
value and carry forward the traditional friendship between
the two countries.
Jiang spoke highly of the
DPRK people's new achievements in various fields. He said
that in recent years, under the leadership of the WPK led by
Kim, the DPRK people have overcome a lot of difficulties,
embarked upon the road to building a strong and prosperous
nation, and made new achievements in socialist development,
external relations, and the cause of independent peaceful
reunification of the motherland. It is believed that the
hard-working, brave and intelligent DPRK people, under the
leadership of the WPK led by Kim, will carry on the
revolutionary spirit of self-reliance and hard work, take
the road to development suited to the national conditions in
the DPRK and build a strong and prosperous nation out of the
DPRK.
Kim said that the Chinese people, under
the leadership of the CPC headed by Jiang, have scored great
achievements in their modernization drive and in boosting
China's relations with other countries and promoting
reunification of the country. He appreciates the
“three represents” idea put forward by Jiang,
which is a party line and policy measure suited to
China’s actual conditions and the aspirations of the
Chinese people. He supports the efforts by the Chinese
people to realize final reunification according to the
“one China” policy.
While
exchanging views on regional issues of common concern, Jiang
reiterated China’s position on the Korean Peninsula
issue. He said that it is of great importance to maintain
and promote peace and stability on the Peninsula. China, as
a close neighbor of the Korean Peninsula, constantly follows
the developments on the Peninsula. China is firmly committed
to safeguarding and promoting peace and stability on the
Korean peninsula, and supports efforts by the two sides on
the peninsula to promote North-South dialogue in a bid to
improve bilateral ties, ease tensions and achieve peaceful
reunification. China also supports the DPRK's efforts to
improve its relations with the United States, Japan, and the
European Union and to eventually normalize relations with
them.
The two leaders also briefed each other
on the domestic situation of their
countries.
Jiang also talked about the current
political and economic situation in China. He said that
facing the new situation and tasks, we have summed up the
80-year history of the Communist Party of China and studied
the success and failures of some political parties, and put
forward the important idea of “three
represents”. We request the whole Party to fully
promote the great project of Party development according to
the requirements of “three represents”. We are
confident and capable of doing a better job in Party
construction and making greater achievements in developing
socialism of Chinese characteristics with the concerted
efforts of the whole Party and Chinese
nation.
To help the DPRK people to overcome the
current economic difficulties, the Chinese side provided
food and goods assistance. Kim expressed thanks for that.