PYONGYANG - Kim Jong-il, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Monday met visiting Chinese Vice-Premier Li Keqiang to promote bilateral ties.

Li first passed to Kim, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, the genial greetings and good wishes from Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and other Chinese leaders.

He said China-DPRK traditional friendship was forged and fostered by the previous generations of leaders of both countries, and is common wealth for both sides, adding bilateral ties have moved forward soundly in recent years.

Li said that particularly since last year, leaders of the two countries have reached a series of consensus on further deepening and boosting bilateral relations, which charts the course for the ties' future development.

China is willing to work together with the DPRK to carefully implement the consensus to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, push forward bilateral ties, pass down their traditional friendship from one generation to another and continuously boost it, Li said.

Both sides should continue to carry out mutual high-level visits, strengthen strategic communication, further deepen practical cooperation, realize common development, expand and close people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and boost bilateral friendly ties, he added.

Li said the DPRK this year has adopted a series of active measures to keep dialogue and contact with relevant parties, and many times reiterated its support to the resumption of the Six-Party Talks about the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula without preconditions and to denuclearization on the peninsula.

He said China buttresses the DPRK in keeping and strengthening contact and dialogue with relevant parties, working for positive achievements, creating conditions for reopening the Six-Party Talks at an early date, and pushing forward further mitigation of tensions on the peninsula.

China is willing to continue to play a constructive role in helping improve the ties between the DPRK and the Republic of Korea (ROK), and maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula, he added.

Kim, for his part, asked Li to pass his genial greetings to Hu and other Chinese leaders, saying the DPRK is encouraged and pleased by the achievements of China's socialist construction.

Kim said the DPRK, against the backdrop of the current profound and complex changes of the international situation, will further boost friendly exchanges and practical cooperation with China to yield rich fruits as regards bilateral ties.

Kim said the DPRK hopes the Six-Party Talks should be restarted as soon as possible.

All the six parties should fully implement the September 19 joint statement, signed by them in 2005 in Beijing, on the principle of simultaneous action, he said.

On Monday night, Li attended a welcoming banquet hosted by Kim.

The Chinese Vice-Premier arrived here on Sunday for an official goodwill visit to the DPRK.