Q: Would you please brief us on General Secretary Kim Jong-il's just concluded visit to China?


A: At the invitation of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and President Jiang Zemin, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Worker's Party and Chairman of the National Defense Commission of DPRK Kim Jong-il paid an unofficial visit to China from May 29 to 31, 2000. It is the first visit by Kim Jong-il to China since he assumed the post as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of DPRK. General Secretary Jiang Zemin held talks with him, during which they exchanged views on further advancing the relations between the two parties and two countries and regional and international issues of mutual concern in an in-depth manner. Major consensus has been reached during the talks. The two sides undertook to make concerted efforts to carry forward the tradition, gear to the future, step up good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation and constantly substantiate the friendly relations and cooperation between China and DPRK with a view to pushing the bilateral relations to a new high. Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of CPC, Chairman of NPC Li Peng, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of CPC, Premier Zhu Rongji of the State Council, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of CPC, Chairman Li Ruihuan of CPPCC, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of CPC, Vice President Hu Jintao met with General Secretary Kim Jong-il respectively. The visit is of special significance to the consolidation and development of China-DPRK relations oriented to the new century.


Q: Why did General Secretary Kim Jong-il visit China on the eve of the DPRK-ROK summit meeting according to the arrangements of China and DPRK? What has been said about the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the forthcoming DPRK-ROK summit meeting during the visit?


A: China and DPRK have the tradition of holding talks by the leaders of the two countries. General Secretary Kim Jong-il's visit to China was under discussion for quite some time and his visit to China is normal. During the talks, China elaborated on its principled position on the question of the Korean Peninsula. China welcomes the upcoming DPRK-ROK summit meeting and it is China's hope that the summit meeting can yield positive results.


Q: During the visit, the highest-ranking officials of China and DPRK held talks for the first time since 1991. Does this symbolize an intensification of the traditional relations between the two countries? Will this affect China's relations with DPRK?


A: Geographically connected China and DPRK are friendly neighbors with a traditional friendship. That the two countries carry on the tradition, gear to the future, step up friendship, good-neighborliness and cooperation and continue to further the friendly relations and cooperation not only conforms to the common aspirations and fundamental interests of the two peoples, but also benefits peace and stability in North-east Asia and the world at large.


China will continue to develop friendly relations and cooperation with ROK on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence.


Q: During General Secretary Kim Jong-il's visit to China, did China promise to offer economic aid to DPRK?


A: China has been offering a certain amount of free aid with food and materials to DPRK.


Q: During the meetings and talks, did China try to persuade DPRK to pursue the China-style reform and opening-up?


A: During the meetings and talks, the two sides briefed each other on their respective domestic situations. As for the ways of running a country, that is something to be worked out by the country involved. We handle our relations with DPRK in accordance to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence that we uphold.