Visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Tuesday that the
personnel and cultural exchanges between China and South Korea are
the foundation for their bilateral friendship.
"The cultural exchanges and trade links between China and South
Korea have helped promote common development and they have become
the solid foundation for our bilateral friendship," Wen said at the
opening ceremony of the China-South Korea Exchange Year.
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo also attended the
ceremony.
China and South Korea are more than neighbors and they are
friends and partners, Wen said, adding that bilateral exchanges and
cooperation in the past 15 years have been instrumental in
maintaining regional stability and prosperity.
The China-South Korea Exchange Year would contribute to efforts
to build a harmonious, prosperous and glorious future for bilateral
relations, Wen said.
For his part, Han said China and South Korea have similar
cultures and are complementary economically.
Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two
countries 15 years ago, marked progress has been made in the
development of bilateral relations in politics, culture, economy
and other fields, he said.
Han expressed the hope that the China-South Korea Exchange Year
will go down in history as a year of their bilateral friendship and
cooperation.
Wen arrived in Seoul on Tuesday morning for his first ever visit
as premier to South Korea. He will leave for Japan on Wednesday and
is scheduled to conclude his two-nation tour on Friday.
(Xinhua News Agency April 11, 2007)
