BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhuanet) -- President Xi Jinping is on his first presidential visit to the Korean Peninsula. A list of key issues likely to be discussed by President Xi and his South Korean counterpart Park Geun-hye include a proposed free trade agreement, denuclearization of the peninsula and regional security. And at a joint presser that just concluded, President Xi said both sides have agreed to work hard towards concluding negotiations for the FTA agreement before the end of the year.
It’s the fifth summit meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Park Geun-hye since both took office last year. Frequent high-level meetings on both sides seem to show their commitment to nurturing a deeper relationship.
"China and South Korea should not only promote mutual development, but also join hands to tackle global challenges in order to maintain the peace and stability of the region and the world," Xi Jinping said.
President Xi is accompanied by about 250 business executives, the biggest foreign business delegation to ever come to South Korea.
The two countries will work towards a free trade agreement or FTA, which will boost an already robust commercial relationship worth about 230 billion US dollars a year.
"One of the key topics being discussed is the signing of the free trade agreement between China and South Korea. This time the meetings between the two countries’ leaders and entrepreneurs will surely facilitate the conclusion of FTA negotiations," said Prof. Taeho Bark, a former Trade Minister of South Korea.
Also at the top of the agenda will be regional politics. On Tuesday Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe lifted a 60 year old ban that kept the Japanese military from fighting abroad.
Both countries have warned Japan not to upset the region’s goal for peace and stability.
President Xi’s visit also comes a day after the DPRK fired short-range rockets into the sea. President Xi and President Park are expected to exchange views on nuclear issue on the peninsula.
"Nowadays, the China-ROK relationship is a strategic cooperative partnership. However, there are still some problems in security, politics, military, and foreign affairs. I hope South Korea will take the opportunity of President Xi Jinping’s visit to build a real strategic cooperative partnership," said Bae Myung-Bok, editorial writer with Central Daily News.
Politics aside, cultural exchanges between China and South Korea are also booming. The average Chinese citizens’ interest in South Korea’s cultural exports is at an all time high due to the high influx of Korean television shows, music, and fashion.
Meanwhile, according to the Seoul-based Asian Institute for Policy studies, South Korea’s public perception of China is also at its highest point. Two-thirds of South Koreans polled said ties with China have improved since President Park took office.
Analysts say that with already strong relations between China and South Korea, there’s no reason why this partnership shouldn’t progress to the next level.
(Source: CNTV.cn)
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