Ｃｈｉｎａ－ＤＰＲＫ Ｆｒｉｅｎｄｓｈｉｐ Ｃｉｔｉｅｓ Ｃｏｎｆｅｒｅｎｃｅ Ｈｅｌｄ

The China-DPRK Friendship Cities Conference cosponsored by the CPAFFC and the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries of DPR Korea (CCRFCK) was held in Pyongyang on May 12.A 36-member delegation of the China-Korea (DPRK) Friendship Association (CKFA) and Chinese local governments led by Wu Donghe， president of the CKFA，paid a visit to the DPRK and attended the conference from May 8 to 13.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the DPRK， and is also the Year of China-DPRK Friendship. The China-DPRK Friendship Cities Conference is one of the major activities of the Friendship Year. So far， eight pairs of friendship cities between China and the DPRK have been twinned. The activities between friendship cities carried out in the Friendship Year are aimed at promoting substantial cooperation between the local governments of the two countries.

On May 12， the friendship cities conference was held in the People’s Cultural Palace in Pyongyang. 150 Chinese and DPRK delegates from China’s provinces of Jiangsu， Shandong and Sichuan， municipalities of Shanghai and Tianjin and cities of Changchun， Jilin and Hunchun， and DPRK’s provinces of Kangwon， South Hwanghae， South Pyongan and South Hamgyong， and cities of Nampo，Chongjin and Rason， and Mangyongdae District of Pyongyang， attended the conference. Mun Jae Chol， acting chairman of the CCRFCK， Wu Donghe， president of the CKFA， and Liu Xiaoming， Chinese ambassador to DPRK， attended and addressed the conference. Li Rong， deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shandong Provincial Government;Liu Changmu， director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Jilin Municipal Government; Im Young Hoo， vice chairman of the South Hwanghae Provincial People’s Committee， and Kim KiYong， vice chairman of the Mangyongdae District People’s Committee， on behalf of their respective local governments， spoke at the conference. A Joint Declaration was adopted at the conference.

During the conference， eight pairs of friendship provinces and cities of the two countries had meetings in separate pairs. In a friendly and relaxed atmosphere， the two sides reviewed history and looked forward to the future and fully exchanged views on carrying out substantial cooperation in future.

Yang Hyong Sop，vice president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly， met with the chief members of the Chinese delegation. He said， in the past several decades， the establishment and development of friendship cities between DPRK and China have conformed to the fundamental interests and met the requirements of the two peoples.Friendship cities serve as links and bridges to enhance friendship between the people of the two countries.

The conference has set up a new platform for cooperation between friendship cities. The DPRK side stressed repeatedly that the convening of the China-DPRK Friendship Cities Conference is an innovation in the history of DPRK-China relations and an important opportunity for the local governments of the two countries to further ties and carry out substantial cooperation. The fact that each of the 8 Chinese provinces and cities that has friendship ties with the DPRK sent representatives to attend the conference showed the sincerity and determination of the Chinese side to develop relations with the DPRK， thus enhancing the DPRK side’s confidence. The DPRK side suggested that in the future friendship cities conference be held in the two countries in turn.

The Chinese participants said， it is a rare chance that they can meet their Korean counterparts in Pyongyang. The friendship cities conference is a good form that sets up a platform for the two sides to carry out exchanges. Through this conference， the two sides have had a better understanding of each other， laying a good foundation for future cooperation.

The conference has injected new impetus to cooperation between friendship cities.Economic and trade cooperation is a focal point of attention for Chinese and DPRK friendship cities and has become the main motive force for cooperation between friendship cities. Before the visit the Chinese delegates had made ample preparations with the focus on knowing about DPRK’s current economic development and the relevant laws and regulations in order to expand the fields of cooperation and channels of exchanges. The DPRK side was also full of expectations of carrying out exchanges of complementarity with the Chinese side， especially of strengthening economic and trade cooperation. Sichuan and Shandong included entrepreneurs in the delegation and reached intent on cooperation with their counterpart provinces in food processing and mining.

The DPRK sponsor invited the president of the DPRK Council for the Promotion of International Trade to have talks with the Chinese entrepreneurs and arranged for them a briefing given by the Council on the country’s policy on trade and investment.

The conference is a new starting point for deepening cooperation between friendship cities. The participants at the conference unanimously adopted the Joint Declaration and fully affirmed the important role played by friendship cities in promoting exchanges between the Chinese and DPRK local governments. They said， in the future the China-DPRK friendship cities will as always expand cooperation and exchanges on the principle of mutual benefits， and make positive contribution to further consolidating and developing the friendly relations between the two countries.

The friendship cities conference has enabled the two sides to see that there is room for cooperation. The conference has become a new starting point for expanding exchanges and deepening cooperation between the two sides and laid a good foundation for contacts between China-DPRK friendship cities in the new period.