North Korea will strive to strengthen its traditional friendship with China, said Yang Hyong-sop, vice president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea, on Friday.

 

Yang made the remarks while meeting with new Chinese Ambassador to North Korea Liu Xiaoming at Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang.

 

"It's a firm policy of North Korea to make efforts to strengthen the traditional friendship with China," Yang said.

 

The Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese government attach great importance to the bilateral friendship, Liu said.

 

China will work with North Korea to strengthen cooperation and continuously enrich the content of the bilateral friendship and cooperation, Liu added.

 

Liu arrived in Pyongyang last Friday.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 15, 2006)