S. Korea, China commemorate 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties

Aug 25, 2022, 08:12 am

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Prime Minister Han Duk-soo delivers a speech at a remote business forum between Seoul and Beijing marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries on Aug. 24, 2022./ Source: Yonhap News

AsiaToday reporter Lee Wook-jae

South Korea and China commemorated the 30th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties with events in their capital cities on Wednesday, and pledged mutually beneficial cooperation.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol stressed the development of bilateral ties while assessing the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries in the official anniversary ceremony held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul at 7 p.m.

“I hope that both South Korea and China will seek new directions of cooperation for the next 30 years based on a spirit of mutual respect and reciprocity,” Yoon said. “In the process, I look forward to South Korea-China relations developing one step further beyond the quantitative growth they have seen so far to growth in quality,” he said.

“I hope to increase high-level exchanges and make specific progress in areas of cooperation, such as economic security, including supply chain issues, the environment and climate change,” he added.

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin attended the Seoul gathering and praised the 30th anniversary, saying, “The dramatic development of South Korea-China relations has not only contributed to the economic development of the two countries but also to regional peace and stability.” Park also called for frank and constructive dialogue between the two countries on current issues to prevent unnecessary misunderstandings.

At the same time, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed the strengthening of bilateral relations and read Chinese President Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter during the Beijing event.

“As neighboring countries that have maintained friendly exchanges for a long time, the two countries have developed their relations in all directions while maintaining openness and engagement through reciprocal cooperation over the past 30 years,” Xi said in his letter. “It is important for the international community, including South Korea and China, to unite and cooperate at a critical period marked by grand revolution and a pandemic of the century,” he said.

Prior to the ceremony, the two foreign ministers attended a virtual event on the submission of a joint report on the development of Seoul-Beijing relations.

The business community of the two countries also held a business forum to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations, and called for active economic cooperation between the two countries. At the event, Prime Minister Han Duk-soo and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang delivered congratulatory speeches to the entrepreneurs of both countries.

“The bilateral trade volume surpassed a record high of US$300 billion last year, a nearly 50-fold increase compared with when diplomatic ties were established,” Han said. “I hope that we will continue to become strong partners based on mutual respect.”

Li Keqiang called for quick progress in follow-up free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with South Korea. “The two countries are inseparable neighbors that should work together for their core interests and pursue the development of bilateral relations,” he said.

#South Korea #China #30th anniversary #diplomatic ties