Senior CPC leader Jia Qinglin attended a reception held in Beijing Saturday to mark the 60th founding anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea, the ruling party of North Korea.

On behalf of Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Jia, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee, extended warm congratulations to the Workers' Party of Korea.

Addressing the reception held by the North Korean embassy in Beijing, Jia, who is also chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said the North Korean people have won a great victory in the war of national liberation and made heartening achievements in socialist revolution and construction over the past 60 years with the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea.

He said the CPC, the Chinese government and its people are sincerely delighted with the achievements made by the North Korean party and believes that the North Korean people will make even greater accomplishments in building up their country with the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea and its General Secretary Kim Jong-il.

Jia also hailed China-North Korea ties, saying that China is delighted to see that the traditional friendship, which was cultivated by the older generations of the leaders of the two countries, is still deepening.

He said the leaders of the two countries attach great importance to the traditional friendship and it is the unalterable policy of the two countries to strengthen China-North Korea friendship.

Jia said both countries are obligated to better bilateral ties at this new stage and to keep the traditional friendship forever vigorous so as to benefit the two peoples.

Before the reception, Jia held talks with North Korea's Ambassador to China Choe Jin-su.

Wang Jiarui, head of the CPC International Department and Xiong Guangkai, deputy chief of General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, also attended the reception.

(Xinhua News Agency October 9, 2005)