Chinese president Xi Jinping visits Seoul for a two-day state visit at the invitation of South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Thursday. Xi’s visit will promote the two countries' bilateral strategic partnership. It is not only a milestone in China-ROK friendship but also represents a new chapter in bilateral cooperation.

President Xi Jinping, with his people-centered and practical work style, is highly respected by South Koreans. As the first female president, Park Geun-hye also enjoys high popularity in China.

Since last year, the two leaders have met with each other several times. Through in-depth discussions, they have reached consensus on a range of issues, giving a strong impetus to bilateral relations and friendship between the two peoples.

South Korea has been eagerly looking forward to Xi’s visit to Seoul, and expects the meeting between the two leaders to herald a brighter future for China-ROK ties.

At present, China-ROK relations have never been better. Earlier this year China established a memorial to commemorate the Korean patriot Ahn Jung Geun at Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, and a monument in honor of the Korean Liberation Army in Xian, Shaanxi Province.

I have been made very welcome by the Korean people since I assumed the new post as Chinese ambassador to Republic of Korea. I also stood witness at the ceremony when the South Korean government returned the remains of 437 soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) killed in the 1950-53 Korean War. All of these events have been hailed by our two peoples, epitomising the deepening mutual trust and friendship between China and ROK

People can sense the strong momentum behind cultural exchanges between the two countries directly through “Mandarin fever” and “K-pop”. 10 years ago, the world’s first Confucius Institute was set up in Seoul. There are now 19 Confucius Institutes throughout South Korea. The "Chinese Bridge" Competition becomes more intense every year, with a growing number of competitors with an ever-higher level of Chinese. K-pop, typified by fashionable clothes, cosmetics, and TV series, is popular among Chinese, especially the young.

Last year, the number of individual trips between China and South Korea reached a record of 8.22 million. Every week, more than 800 flights ply between major cities in both countries.

In order to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in education, tourism, culture, arts , sports and other fields, the two countries have launched a joint committee mechanism, promoting friendship between the two peoples.

As another highlight of China-ROK relations, bilateral economic and trade cooperation has shown impressive momentum. Negotiations on a China-ROK free trade zone has been the top concern for entrepreneurs in the two countries, who have shown enthusiastic interest in cooperation with each other.

Korean entrepreneurs are optimistic about the prospects of China's development. Some major Korean enterprises, as well as a large number of small and medium sized companies from Korea, have expanded their investment in China.

Samsung has invested 7 billion US dollars in Xi'an on the latest generation of semiconductor. The project was completed and commissioned in May this year. It is the largest foreign investment on a single project in China since the inception of reform and opening up.

Last year, China-ROK trade volume reached $274.2 billion, hitting a new record. China has been South Korea's largest trading partner, largest export market, the largest source of imports, and the largest investment destination for many years.

In addition, South Korea has become China’s third largest trading partner and third largest export market. Last year, ROK became China’s largest source of imports. The potential for mutually beneficial economic cooperation and win-win trade can still be tapped to a deeper degree.

China and South Korea are close in geography, culture and people. Amidst the trend of peaceful development in Asia, our futures are related to each other and our fates are interconnected. I believe that Chinese president Xi Jinping’s historic visit to South Korea is an opportunity for both Chinese and Korean people to work closely together in pursuit of our dreams, and promote our friendship to a greater degree.

The author is the Chinese ambassador to Republic of Korea Qiu Guohong. The article is edited and translated from the Chinese version of《中韩友好，让梦想照亮未来（大使随笔）》, source: People’s Daily, July 2.