The Republic of Korea (ROK) President Roh Moo-hyun arrived in
Beijing Monday morning for a four-day state visit to China as guest
of Chinese President Hu Jintao.
Hu
and Roh will hold talks later Monday to exchange views on bilateral
ties, international and regional issues of common concern.
This will be the first meeting between Hu and Roh since they
assumed office.
Before Roh Moo-hyun left for Beijing, he expressed his hope to
strengthen amicable relations with the world largest
population.
He
also expected that China will continue playing its constructive
role to persuade the parties in the nuclear issue of Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to return to the negotiating
table.
China is Roh Moo-hyun's third foreign country he traveled to in the
four months after he inaugurated as the top leader of South Korea.
He had made visits to the United States and Japan respectively in
May and June.
The ROK-China relations have been developed smoothly since the two
neighboring countries established diplomatic ties in 1992. Roh's
current visit will highlight bilateral exchanges, which have been
increased rapidly.
Trade volume between the two countries rocketed to US$44.07 last
year, eight times of that in 1992. In the first five months of this
year, the figure reached a new high record of US$22.7 billion,
rising 44.5 percent against the same period of 2002.
As
of May, South Korea's exports to China reached US$12.39 billion, a
48.3 percent rise from the same period a year ago despite the
impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
China has replaced Japan, becoming South Korea's third largest
export destination, while South Korea is the fifth largest export
market of China.
South Korean enterprises have shown great interests in the China's
huge market, which has already turned to be the largest target of
South Korean investment. In the first quarter of 2003, South Korean
corporations injected US$310 million into the charming market,
uprushing 66 percent year-on-year.
Meanwhile, South Korean films and popular music have lots of fans
in China, while South Korean students are keen to learn Chinese
language.
Over 22,000 South Korean students are pursuing degrees in various
Chinese universities and 3,000 Chinese young people are studying in
South Korean colleges.
"It's seldom that only in a 10-year span, relations between the two
countries can develop so widely, deeply and rapidly," President Roh
Moo-hyun has said.
"I
desperately want to meet Chinese leaders during my visit, to
discuss economic and trade cooperation," Roh said, outlining agenda
of his China trip.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi greeted Roh Moo-hyun at the
airport. Roh's entourage included his wife Kwon Yang-sook, 15
senior ROK officials and 30 entrepreneurs.
Also on Roh Moo-hyun's agenda in the Chinese capital will be
meetings with other Chinese leaders, a speech at Tsinghua
University, and a visit to a Beijing-based ROK car manufacture
plant.
Besides Beijing, Roh Moo-hyun is scheduled to visit China's
financial hub Shanghai.
(Xinhua News Agency July 7, 2003)