Chinese President Hu Jintao met in Pyongyang Saturday with Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Hu said at the meeting that China will continue to make concerted efforts with the DPRK under the new circumstances to boost their friendship and cooperation to higher levels.

This, he added, will benefit the two countries and their peoples and make positive contributions to lasting peace and common prosperity in Northeast Asia.

Hu, who is also the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), reviewed the fruitful exchanges and cooperation in various fields and the rapid growth of economic and trade relations between the two countries.

He said China will, in accordance with the principles of reciprocity and common development, encourage its businesses to carry out more cooperation with the DPRK.

For his part, Kim said the DPRK will join China in making efforts to boost bilateral traditional friendship and push forward bilateral cooperation.

Hu, accompanied by General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the National Defense Commission Kim Jong Il, visited on Saturday morning the newly established Tae-an Friendship Glass Factory, which was built with aid from China.

The factory, considered "a symbol of the DPRK-China friendship, " is located on the bank of the Taedong River and has a designed daily production capacity of 300 tons of float-process glass.

Hu arrived in Pyongyang Friday for a three-day official goodwill visit.

(Xinhua News Agency October 30, 2005)