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ROK Wants Overall Cooperative Partnership with China: Kim Dae-jung
ROK President Kim Dae-jung met with the delegation of People's Daily led by Bai Keming, president of PD, and accepted a special interview by PD journalist in his presidential residence on Monday afternoon.
Kim Dae-jung is looking forward to meeting with President Jiang Zemin in Shanghai in October.
During the interview, President Kim Dae-jung said that he holds a deep respect for President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji and profound friendly affection for the Chinese people. He told the journalist that ROK will keep on developing an overall cooperative partnership with the People's Republic of China and he looks forward to meeting with President Jiang Zemin in Shanghai in October. In addition, he asked Bai Keming to convey his greetings to President Jiang Zemin and other Chinese leaders.
When answering Bai's queries about ROK's development targets in the 21st Century and its second industrial restructuring, President Kim Dae-jung said ROK has two goals set in the 21st Century:
First, a strong ROK is to be built on a knowledge-based economy through vigorously developing information industry and life sciences and taking knowledge as the foundation. Second, actively promote south-north relationship and realize a peaceful co-existence and exchanges. Although it is a long-term task to reunify the Korean Peninsula, a new phase with mutual-aid and trust can be developed when promoting peaceful co-existence and inter-Korea exchanges. President Kim Dae-jung thought ROK has basically concluded its government-led second industrial restructuring in February and non-governmental organizations have taken the place of the government in directing the reform. The government should support those enterprises with strong competitiveness and eliminate backward ones so as to set up a system of "frequent reform" to carry out renovation at any moment necessary. During the reform, banks should stick to transparence and incorruptibility. Instead of renovations carried out in the past that mainly eyes hardware, the coming solution will particularly stress on software construction to intensify the competitiveness of the enterprises.
When talking about bilateral relations between ROK and China in the new century, President Kim Dae-jung said that China has a population of nearly 1.3 billion and its economic growth stands at an annual 7 to 8 percent. It is a large market and a precious economic partner of ROK. ROK has very good luck to be a neighbor of China. In the 21st Century, a competitive and cooperative era, China has a great market potential which is quite helpful for ROK's economic development. ROK has always been treating China as one of its good friends. Being the third largest trade partner and the second largest investment destination of ROK, China will see further economic growth after it joins the WTO and its cooperation with ROK will be further promoted as well.
Kim Dae-jung said that with the new Incheon International Airport completed and opened recently, cooperation and exchanges in aviation field between the two countries will be expanded. The construction of The Kyongui railway (from Seoul, capital of ROK, to Shinuiju, a city on the borderline with China, DPRK) which is designed to connect the south with the north has been started. The "Steely Silk Road" will join China, central Asia and even the whole Europe together after it is completed. Faster than waterage and being able to reach China and the inland of west Asia, the railway will benefit the two sides equally. Besides, South Korea also wishes to enlarge cooperation in the fields like knowledge-intensive industry with the People's Republic of China.
Next year will mark the 10th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, said Kim. For these years, ROK and China have made satisfying achievements in political, economic and cultural fields. Friendly relationship between the two countries will surely be further advanced to an overall cooperative phase.
ROK will keep on promoting accommodation and cooperation with the DPRK.
As regards the security situation and south-north relationship on the Korean Peninsula, Kim Dae-jung said that countries concerned and the two sides of the Peninsula should make joint efforts in maintaining peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula. ROK and the DPRK should purchase the guiding principle towards accommodation and cooperation.
He said that the current task for the two sides is not to realize a hasty reunification because it's not the proper time. South Korea wishes to intensify mutual cooperation and exchanges for peace and an effective system to avoid wars.
Kim Dae-jung believed that the first important task for the two sides now is to sign an agreement to guarantee none mutual aggression and end the aftereffects of Cold War. The problem concerning establishing a permanent peaceful system on the Peninsula should be settled through "four-side Talks". ROK will keep on promoting south-north accommodation and cooperation and exert itself in realizing reunions and correspondence of dispersed families and strengthening mutual economic, cultural and physical cooperation and exchanges. ROK hopes that the US-DPRK relationship can be improved and divergence on the nuclear power and missiles problems can be settled so as to realize a final normalization of bilateral relationship between the two countries.
He said that both ROK and China are concerned about peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula. ROK expects to strengthen accommodation and cooperation with the DPRK under a peaceful and stable overall situation.
Kim Dae-jung spoke highly of China's constructive role in maintaining peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and expected China to make a greater contribution in bringing peace to the Peninsula in the future.
Beijing's 2008 Olympic Games Bid is a favorable opportunity to promote friendship with other countries.
When talking about China's bid for the 2008 Olympic Games, Kim Dae-jung said it is a good opportunity for China such a large country to promote friendship with other countries across the world. He also said humorously that China should not bag all the golds even when it should win the bid.
To conclude, President Kim Dae-jung recalled that People's Daily had lent its voice in supporting him and offered great help to him when he was cruelly persecuted during the days of ROK's decrepit military regime. He would like to take this opportunity to express his gratitude to all the PD staff and wishes for a success of the People's Daily as well.
Bai Keming expressed that he will pass on the President's kindness to the PD staff.
By PD Online staff member Du Minghua
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