Li Changchun, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), held talks with South Korean Parliament Speaker Kim Hyung-o on bilateral ties and issues of common concern here on Tuesday.
Recalling the swift development of China-South Korea relations over the past 17 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, Li said: "We deeply feel that the accumulated historical tradition of the bilateral friendly contacts and the increasing cultural exchanges are enriching the social basis of the development of bilateral ties."
Statesmen of both countries always handle the direction of the development of bilateral ties from a strategic height, which helps consolidate the political basis of the ties, said Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
Expanding and deepening economic and trade cooperation between the two countries provides a solid material basis for the development of the bilateral relationship, Li said.
He said China and South Korea insist on linking the development of the bilateral ties to safeguarding regional peace and stability, which provides a new driving force for the continuous development of the bilateral ties.
In recent years, exchanges between the parliaments of the two countries have become more and more active, especially since early 2006 when a regular mechanism of parliamentary exchanges was set in motion, Li said.
China attaches great importance to the friendly exchanges with the South Korean parliament and hopes that the two sides could bring into play the advantages of the legislative bodies in information collection, brain power and wide-ranging liaison so as to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation and to push the bilateral ties as well as the economic and social enterprises of the two countries toward a better development, Li said.
For his part, Kim expressed his admiration of the great achievements that China has made in economic and social development since the founding of the People's Republic of China 60 years ago, especially since China's reform and opening-up 30 years ago.
Kim also highly valued China's special contributions to maintaining regional peace and prosperity.
He said China is playing an active and important role in dealing with the financial crisis in collaboration with the international community.
South Korea is ready to make major contributions to deepening the bilateral strategic partnership of cooperation with China through parliamentary exchanges, Kim said.
On the same day, Li also held separate talks with Park Hee-tae, chairman of South Korea's ruling Grand National Party, and Chung Sye-kyun, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party.
Li expressed appreciation of the two parties' adherence to the one-China policy, stressing that party-to-party exchanges are a crucial part of the ties between two countries.
Li put forward three proposals on deepening exchanges between parties of the two countries.
First, to realize a regularity of high-level exchanges. Party leaders of the two countries can visit each other annually or biannually.
Second, to push forward the exchanges between young politicians of the two countries. Li welcomed young lawmakers of South Korea to visit China.
Third, to diversify the forms of the exchanges, to push party-to-party cooperation to a new step.
Concerned with the current situation in the Korean Peninsula, Li said guaranteeing its stability, sticking to the goal of the denuclearization of the peninsula, and continuing to carry forward with the six-party talks conform to the common interests of all sides.
Park expressed his agreement with Li's three proposals. He said his party supports promoting the South Korea-China strategic partnership of cooperation in a comprehensive way, deepening the cooperation in various fields, and making joint contributions to peace and prosperity in the region and the world at large.
Chung said the Democratic Party pays great attention to the effective exchanges and cooperation with the CPC.
Under the current circumstances, strengthened cooperation between South Korea and China in various fields carries great significance to overcoming the impact of the financial crisis and maintaining regional peace and stability, he said.
Source: Xinhua
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