BEIJING - President Hu Jintao said Monday the exchange of visits between high-level officials of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will play an important role in advancing traditional friendship and promoting bilateral links between the two countries.

Hu made the remarks when meeting with Yang Hyong Sop, vice president of the Presidium of the DPRK's Supreme People's Assembly, in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Monday afternoon.

Yang is in the capital for a four-day visit as China and the DPRK are holding a series of events marking the 50th anniversary of the signing of the DPRK-China Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance. ?Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang is also paying a visit to the DPRK from Sunday to Wednesday.

During the meeting with Yang, President Hu said the signing of the treaty 50 years ago is of "historical significance." Hu welcomed Yang and his delegation to China. He recalled that five years ago, Yang headed a DPRK delegation to China to mark the 45th anniversary of the signing of the friendship treaty.

Yang thanked Hu for the meeting and conveyed cordial greetings from the top DPRK leader Kim Jong Il to President Hu.

At the invitation of Hu, Kim paid a visit to China from May 20 to 26. The official DPRK Rodong Sinmbun newspaper hailed the visit as "a historic event of great significance."

During the visit, Kim repeatedly emphasized that the younger generation should continue the DPRK-China friendship.

Yang's visit to China was part of the move that the two countries took to reinforce their traditional friendship. Besides Beijing, he also visited Tianjin, a port city in north China.

Yang attended a reception in Beijing on Sunday marking the 50th anniversary of the signing of the DPRK-China treaty of friendship. He will meet Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, later Monday.