South Korean Lawmakers Praise China's ContributionsLee Man-sup, speaker of South Korea's National Assembly (one-chamber parliament), said Thursday that South Korean people will never forget China's sincere support for the unification of the Korean Peninsula.While meeting Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji Thursday morning, who arrived here Tuesday for a six-day visit, Lee said South Korean people have all the way regarded China as a good neighbor as China supplied support for the Independence Movement of the Korean Peninsula under the Japanese colonial rule and helped South Korea overcome the Asian financial crisis. Zhu praised South Korea's parliament for its contribution for developing Sino-South Korean relationship and hoped that it will further strengthen contacts with the Chinese National People's Congress. He also expressed thanks for the warm reception accorded to him by South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and the South Korean government and people during his visit. Later, the Chinese premier met with Lee Hui-chang, president of South Korea's opposition Grand National Party. At the meeting, Zhu said that developing the Sino-South Korean friendly ties conforms to the common aspiration of the Chinese and South Korean people and serves the basic interest of both countries. He said China welcomes inter-Korean reconciliation and sincerely supports Korean unification through independent and peaceful ways. Meanwhile, Lee Hui-chang stressed that all political parties of South Korea have been maintaining that South Korea should develop friendly ties with China. The opposition leader said all South Korean ruling and opposition parties agreed that China has played a constructive role in improving the situation on the Korean Peninsula and maintaining security and peace in northeast Asia. Later Thursday, the Chinese premier visited the Samsung Electronics Co. in the company of Samsung Business Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee. |
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