Premier Wen Jiabao held talks with South Korean President Roh
Moo-hyun on bilateral ties as well as international and regional
issues of common concern Sunday in Cebu, the second largest city of
the Philippines.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Seventh
Trilateral Leaders' Meeting of China, Japan and South Korea, and
the 10th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) Plus China, Japan and South Korea (or 10+3 ).
Wen said China and South Korea are both friendly neighbors and
important cooperative partners. The two countries share common
interests and similar views in safeguarding and promoting regional
peace and development.
To develop comprehensive friendly good neighborly relations is
the Chinese government's fixed policy, Wen said, adding that China
is ready to exert joint efforts to constantly expand and deepen
China-South Korea comprehensive cooperative partnership.
Wen added that China and South Korea are important forces in
safeguarding the stabilization of the situations on the Korean
Peninsular. China-South Korea relations have maintained sound
momentum of all-round development in recent years and the two
countries have established comprehensive cooperative
partnership.
Bilateral trade volume reached US$111.93 billion in 2005, a 24.3
percent increase over 2004.
The year 2007 is the 15th anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations between the two countries, which will hold
China-South Korea "Year of Exchange" activities.
Wen arrived in Cebu on Saturday to attend a series of summits.
He will also pay an official visit to the Southeast Asian nation.
It was the fourth time for Wen to attend such ASEAN-related summits
since 2003.
(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2007)
