On February 22, 2003, Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan met with and hosted a banquet for President Kim Yong Nam of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, who made a stopover in Beijing on his way to Malaysia to attend the 13th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).  The two sides held friendly talks.

Tang said that the Chinese Party and government have attached great importance to China-DPRK traditional friendly relations and cooperation. We will follow the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, namely carrying on traditions, facing the future, promoting good-neighborly friendship and strengthening cooperation, and promote new development in China-DPRK traditional friendship and cooperation.

While extending gratitude for the warm reception for his stopover by the Chinese side, Kim said his country also values highly the DPRK-China traditional friendship that has withstood long-term tests, and the Party and government in the DPRK will exert every effort to consolidate and develop the DPRK-China traditional friendship.

The two also exchanged views on the situation of the Korean Peninsula and other issues of common concern.