A Chinese military delegation paid tribute to North Korea's late president Kim Il-Sung Sunday on the second day of a four-day trip to mark the 60th anniversary of Chinese forces' entry into the Korean War, state media said.
The delegation, led by Guo Boxiong, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, visited the Kumsusan palace where Kim's body has been preserved since his death in 1994, the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported.
After arriving in Pyongyang on Saturday, Guo said close ties between the two countries would be handed down through generations.
"It is my hope that the Sino-(North Korea) friendship will be handed down through generations and last forever," he said in a statement reported by KCNA.
China is the North's sole major ally and economic lifeline. It stood by its impoverished neighbour after the sinking of a South Korean warship in March, refusing to declare Pyongyang responsible, despite strong international pressure.
At a banquet Saturday, North Korean Vice Marshal Ri Yong-Ho said the visit would mark an important occasion in developing the friendship between the armies of the two countries "on a new higher level", KCNA said.
Experts say Ri is a key man in the North's plan to hand power to Kim Jong-Un, the youngest son of ailing leader Kim Jong-Il.
Jong-Un's status as leader-in-waiting was effectively made public after Pyongyang made him a four-star general and gave him key ruling party posts late last month.
Kim Jong-Il has visited China twice this year. The last visit, in August, was seen by many analysts as a bid by the North Korean leader for Chinese support for the dynastic succession.
Beijing fears the collapse of North Korea and resulting instability on its borders and thus provides heavy aid and trade support to its isolated neighbour, experts say.
Kim suffered a stroke two years ago and has since apparently speeded up plans to put an eventual successor in place.
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