A top Chinese adviser appealed Friday for a deepening of exchanges and cooperation between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) so as to improve their traditional friendship.

Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made the remarks after meeting with a delegation from the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland of DPRK.

The DPRK delegation is led by Kim Wan Su, chief of the Secretariat of the Central Committee.

The Sino-DPRK friendship, created and cultivated by leaders of the older generation of both countries, has stood the test of time, said Jia.

In the new century, joint efforts by the two countries have meant that bilateral relations could continue to develop soundly, Jia acknowledged, citing the frequent high-level visits and expanding economic cooperation.

Under new circumstances, the two countries should continue to respect and trust each other, and deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields to enrich their traditional friendship.

Both the CPPCC and the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland are playing vital roles in their respective countries, said Jia, in a hope that the two organizations could strengthen cooperation and jointly promote China-DPRK friendship.

Kim Wan Su spoke highly of DPRK-China relations. The two countries have witnessed frequent high-level visits as well as friendly cooperation in all fields, said Kim.

Chinese President Hu Jintao will pay an official good-will visit to DPRK between Oct. 28 and 30, which will further enhance and develop DPRK-China friendly cooperation, said Kim.

Source: Xinhua