Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Pyongyang on Friday, starting his three-day official goodwill visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Hu, who is also the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), is paying the visit at the invitation of Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and chairman of the National Defense Commission, who greeted Hu at the airport.

In a written statement delivered upon his arrival at the airport, Hu spoke highly of the DPRK's achievements made in the past years under the WPK's leadership and voiced his belief that under Kim's leadership, the DPRK people will score greater accomplishment in exploring a development path suited to its own conditions and building a strong and prosperous country.

It is proven that the development of China-DPRK friendship and cooperation conforms to the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples and is conducive to safeguarding peace and stability and promoting development and prosperity in the region, Hu said.

China will work with the DPRK side to raise the relations between the two parties and the two countries to a new level, said the Chinese president.

He said that he believes his visit will enhance the friendship between the two sides and push forward the overall development of bilateral friendship and cooperation.

Source: Xinhua