Republic of Korea (ROK) President Lee Myung-bak is set to make a four-day state visit to China from May 27 to 30 at the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao. On the eve of his China trip, Lee said in an exclusive interview with People's Daily reporters that his country is ready to further consolidate and develop its friendly relations with China and contribute to peace and development in East Asia and the Asia as a whole.
President Lee Myung-bak once again extended his sincere regards to Chinese leaders and people in China for the severe earthquake that had jolted Sichuan province in southwestern China. "Chinese leaders have given scope to their strong capability of leadership in the quake relief endeavor and the Chinese people have shown their great unity and strength," he said. He also voiced his conviction that China will surely win the victory in quake rescue and relief and in rebuilding their pleasant homes.
On his current trip to China, he said that he will confer on the further enhancement and growth of bilateral relations and the promotion of a bilateral cooperation mechanism and on issues of mutual interest in his talks with President Hu Jintao and meetings with other Chinese leaders.
President Lee gave a high appraisal of the outcome scored after the forging of Sino-ROK diplomatic ties 16 full years ago. The trade volume between the two nations grew from 6.3 billion US dollars in 1992 to 145 billion dollars in 2007. To date, China has become the first trade, export and investment object of ROK, whereas ROK has become its third trade partner. In the field of personnel exchanges, people of the two nations made close to 6 million trips to each other's countries in 2007.
With regards to achievements China has scored in its three decades of reforms and opening to the outside world, President Lee said with feelings that China, a very pragmatic and substantial nation, has made immense advances, which creates a "miracle" in the 21st century, assuring his belief that China will contribute to peace, common prosperity and win-win in Northeast Asia.
On upgrading the bilateral ties, Lee said, ROK and China are close neighbors and it is the common desire of the people of both nations to develop and upgrade bilateral ties, and the enhanced exchanges between the people of the two nations, and those between their youngsters and children, in particular, are very important for the increased mutual understanding.
China has played a vital role in the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue that involved China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK), the United State, ROK, Japan and Russia, and in safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in northeast Asia at large. He also held that China's role is tremendous on the issue of reconciliation of the south and north on the Korean peninsula, peace and the peaceful unification, and ROK is willing to conduct extensive cooperation with China, he said.
President Lee pays close attention to the imminent Beijing Olympics, which he said would be the biggest Olympic Games in history with most varied and rich contents, and he voiced the wish that it will be crowned with success.
As close neighbors, China and ROK are regarded as "the good partners and good neighbors" by Zhang Yunling, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and director of its Institute of International Studies, since the two nations have set up their comprehensive, cooperative partnership thanks to joint efforts made after the forging of their diplomatic ties in 1992.
To date, China and ROK have formed their ties of cooperation and mutual trust in the sphere of politics and security, Zhang acknowledged. The two nations have conducted a sound cooperation and set up their communication and consultation mechanism and increased mutual trust either in advancing the process of the six-party talks or in spurring the south-north exchange on the Korea Peninsula. At present, China and ROK should continue to step up cooperation and push forward the six-party talks toward the positive direction.
The economic and trade ties between the two nations have especially arrested people's attention. The economies of China and ROK are very much complementary to each other, and China's market and the ROK's technological advantages provide a huge space for the expansion of bilateral economic and trade ties. It is precisely owing to this huge space that has advanced the rapid growth of bilateral economic and trade relations.
Furthermore, China and ROK represent a vital, important force to spur regional cooperation. The two nations have found a new cooperative platform and extended the room for cooperation, and they can continue to reinforce cooperation and work even harder for building up the peaceful and harmonious ties in the Asia-Pacific and East Asia region, said Academician Zhang.
By People's Daily Online
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