China, ROK vow to enhance comprehensive partnership

BEIJING—China said Tuesday that strengthening the comprehensive and cooperative partnership with the Republic of Korea (ROK) conformed to the fundamental interest of the two peoples, and was conducive to regional and world peace, stability and prosperity.
Chinese President Hu Jintao made the remarks during a meeting with the ROK Prime Minister Han Duck Soo. Hu said China would like to work with the ROK to maintain the good momentum in the bilateral relations and promote a comprehensive and cooperative partnership.
Hu said Sino-ROK relations had developed rapidly and cooperation in all fields strengthened since the two countries forged diplomatic ties 15 years ago. He praised the activities between the two countries to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Sino-ROK ties.
Han Duck Soo said the comprehensive and cooperative partnership between the ROK and China had developed in an all-round way. He praised China for its effort to push forward the six-party talks process, saying that his country would work with China to ensure peace and prosperity in northeast Asia.
Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), also met with Han Duck Soo. Wu said parliamentary exchanges were the important component in the bilateral ties, and currently the regular exchange mechanism at the deputy speaker level had been working well.
The exchanges between the legislative organs had enriched Sino-ROK relations and consolidated the social foundation for the cooperation, he added. He said the NPC would like to work with the ROK parliament to strengthen exchanges to push forward relations between the two countries.
Han Duck Soo echoed the sentiment that ROK would enhance parliamentary exchanges with China. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and visiting Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Han Duck-soo attended a grand performance in Beijing on Monday evening, marking the closing of the China-ROK Exchange Year, a year-long bilateral cultural program. Young artists from the two countries, including renowned dancers, children singers and disabled performers, presented a fantastic show to the two leaders together with more than 1,000 audience.
Addressing the occasion, Premier Wen said over 100 activities had been held under the framework of the China-ROK Exchange Year, which evoked warm acclamations and positive response from the public and boosted mutual understanding and win-win cooperation between both countries.
Considering youth as the future of a nation and a fresh force to inherit China-ROK friendship, Wen called on youth of the two countries to have more exchange of ideas in order to cultivate trust and friendship from childhood. Hailing the remarkable progress of bilateral ties in the past 15 years, Han Duck-soo said the ROK is to join hands with China to step up bilateral all-round cooperative ties and strive for a better future of the northeast Asia. He believed the the China-ROK Exchange Year had cemented traditional friendship of the two peoples and laid a sound foundation for future bilateral cooperation. This year marks the 15th anniversary of China-ROK diplomatic ties as well as the Year of China-ROK Exchange.—Xinhua