Chin Dae-je, the ROK's minister of information and communication, made the remark when talking with Chinese Minister of Information Industry Wang Xudong.

The ROK has cooperated very well with China in the field of CDMA (code division multiple access) and hopes to enhance cooperation on 3G technology with China, he said, adding that well-known ROK companies like Samsung and LG are ready to join hands with Chinese enterprises.

Wang said the ROK had a great advantage in electronic product manufacturing. A good foundation for exchange and cooperation in the information industry had been laid since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

He said China supports developing 3G technology, and will promote this technology in a positive yet cautious way.

He also hoped the two countries would organize an expert team for cooperation in 3G field that could benefit both sides.

According to Wang, the business revenue in China's telecommunications sector totaled 182.42 billion yuan (US$22 billion) in the January-May period of this year, up 15 percent from a year earlier.

Chin congratulated China for the rapid progress of its information industry despite the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, and reiterated the ROK hopes to cooperate with China in new-generation IT technology and make joint effort to open up the international market.

(Xinhua News Agency July 9, 2003)