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Chinese Premier Makes Proposal for Cooperation with S. Korea
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji made a four-point proposal Wednesday in Seoul for the strengthening of relations and cooperation between China and South Korea.
In a speech at a luncheon given in his honor by four major South Korean business organizations, Zhu said that it is particularly important for China and South Korea to push forward bilateral relations as both countries are facing new opportunities and challenges in the process of multi-polarization and globalization.
"Today's world is undergoing a profound change with the modern science and technology, especially the information technology, developing at an unprecedented pace," said the Chinese premier.
To promote Sino-South Korean cooperation in all fields, first of all, the leaders of the two countries should engage in enhanced dialogue and coordination in dealing with issues related to regional stability, economic security and development, and major world affairs, Zhu said.
He said that the two countries should also make efforts to increase people-to-people contacts, deepen exchanges and cooperation in every area to bring into the new century a healthy Sino-South Korean partnership based on mutual trust and comprehensive cooperation.
Secondly, the two countries should actively expand economic cooperation by exploring new ways and means of cooperation with a view to injecting new impetus into the bilateral economic and trade relations.
Besides the traditional areas of cooperation, both sides can also cooperate in high-tech, environmental protection, steel, petrochemistry and energy, Zhu said.
"We welcome South Korean business people to actively take part in the great development drive in western China and China's industrial restructuring process," the premier told the South Korean business audience.
Thirdly, both sides should strengthen coordination in regional economic cooperation, he said.
"During the Asian financial crisis, China and South Korea conducted effective consultation and coordination on how to resolve the crisis and stabilize the regional economy," the premier said.
The economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has already expanded into regional and multilateral arenas and "we can participate to a greater extent in regional economic cooperation by building on the basis of bilateral cooperation and making good use of complementarities between each other and increasing the ability of preventing financial risks in order to achieve common prosperity," Zhu said.
Lastly, problems in cooperation should be dealt with in a timely and proper manner, he said.
"As the Sino-South Korean economic and trade relations are developing at a fast speed, it is inevitable to encounter some problems," he said. "What is vital is to find solutions to the problems while bearing in mind the principles of seeking truth from facts and being mutually beneficial, and viewing the problems from the perspective of development and heeding the importance of maintaining a friendly cooperative relations."
He said the presidents of the two countries presented a beautiful blueprint for future bilateral relations when they announced in 1998 to establish a Sino-South Korean partnership oriented toward the 21st century.
"And this morning, I had a good talk with President Kim Dae-jung. We agreed to continue in the current direction and make joint efforts to further develop the comprehensive cooperation between China and South Korea," Zhu said.
The premier announced that both sides agreed to create a Sino-South Korean investment promotion framework and a research center for economic cooperation between the two countries in the 21st century and to set up a Chinese culture center in Seoul, capital of South Korea.
"We have good reasons to believe that as long as both sides follow the principles of mutual confidence, mutual benefit and maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula, the Sino-South Korean relationship will develop and consolidate further in every field," Zhu said.
The luncheon was hosted by the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Federation of Korean Industries, the Korean Foreign Trade Association and the Korean Federation of Small Business.
Zhu is here on a six-day official visit to South Korea, during which he will also attend the third Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) slated for Friday and Saturday.
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