China and South Korea vow to further expand their all-around cooperative partnership, said a joint communique issued in Seoul Thursday during a state visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Further expanding cooperation between the two neighboring countries serves the interests of both the Chinese and South Korean peoples and is conducive to stability and prosperity in the region and the world at large, said the communique.

Both sides agree to maintain frequent exchanges of high-level visits and to build a regular communication mechanism for the parliaments of the two countries in an effort to further broaden the channels for bilateral cooperation.

China welcomes the establishment of a South Korean Consulate General in the western Chinese city of Xi'an, and South Korea, in return, welcomes China to establish a consulate in the southern South Korean city of Kwangju, said the communique.

Both sides vow to seize the opportunity of the year 2007, the 15th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral ties, to enhance the understanding between the two peoples, it said.

South Korea will continue to adhere to the one-China policy and respect the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, said the document.

Meanwhile, both sides agree that it is necessary for the international community to strengthen the mechanism of multilateral cooperation in the face of opportunities and challenges in the 21st century. They also promise to continue cooperation on international affairs.

China and South Korea support necessary and reasonable UN reforms, which should help strengthen the authority of the world body, and improve its efficiency, transparency and ability to deal with the challenges and threats in the 21st century, said the communique.

Both countries agree that the reform of the UN Security Council shall proceed on the basis of the broadest support and consensus through thorough discussions, it said.

The two sides also pledge to strengthen their cooperation in cracking down on drug trafficking, international terrorism, high-tech crimes, piracy, financial crimes and religious extremism.

Source: Xinhua