The following article was contributed by Seoul Correspondent Chen Shangwen of People’s Daily in Seoul. The views expressed in the article are the author’s own and in no way represent the view of The Korea Post in Seoul.?Ed.
China will work with South Korea to boost political, economic and cultural cooperation in order to promote the common development of the two countries, regional peace, revitalization of Asia and increased global prosperity, Liu Qibao, head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, pledged during his recent four-day trip to South Korea.
Liu is also a member of the Political Bureau as well as secretariat of the CPC Central Committee.
“Guided by Chinese President Xi Jinping and his South Korean counterpart President Park Geun-hye, both countries have seen gratifying momentum in the areas of mutual political trust, economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchange,” Liu added.
A bilateral strategic partnership was first proposed by Xi during his trip to South Korea in 2014.
Arriving in South Korea on May 20, Liu met with senior South Korean officials including Speaker of the National Assembly Chung Ui-hwa, Deputy Prime Minister Lee Joon-sik, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Jong-deok.
Hailing the bilateral ties as being at their best-ever in history, Chung agreed with Liu that both nations have benefited from high-level exchanges, economic cooperation and cultural communication.
He promised that as China continues to play an increasingly influential role in world, South Korea will enhance mutual trust and cooperation with its neighbor and so the two nations can work together towards peace, stability and prosperity in Northeast Asia and the world at large.
The high frequency of mutual visits by Chinese and South Korean leaders in recent years has offered a glimpse into the increasingly friendly relations between the two countries.
After President Park visited China in 2013, President Xi visited South Korea in a single-country overseas trip in 2014. Additionally, last October, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang paid an official visit to South Korea two months after Park attended a massive military parade in Beijing marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. These visits in turn have helped consolidate the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Apart from official activities, Liu also attended several cultural activities, including a China-South Korea media dialogue, a forum on sinology and a visit to a cultural company.