Premier Li Keqiang spoke highly of relations and strategic cooperation between China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) during a meeting with visiting ROK prime minister in Beijing on June 28.
Hwang Kyo-ahn, the ROK prime minister, came to attend the Summer Davos Forum, which was held in Tianjin from June 26-28.
Premier Li noted that as neighbors and strategic cooperation partners, China attaches great importance to the bilateral relations with the ROK.
China is willing to enhance political mutual trust and high-level exchanges, promote pragmatic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, keep pushing forward healthy development of bilateral relations, and bring benefits to the peoples of the two countries and the region as well, said the Premier.
Premier Li also noted that during his visit to the ROK last year, both sides reached consensus to link China's Belt and Road Initiative with ROK's Eurasia Initiative, China's mass entrepreneurship and innovation with ROK's strategy for a "creative economy", "Made in China 2025" initiative with ROK's "3.0 strategy for manufacturing innovation", as well as the two nations' efforts to explore third-party markets in production capacity cooperation.
The Premier said he hopes both sides will make joint efforts to further enhance the building of free trade area, promote cooperation in joint research as well as innovation and entrepreneurship, speed up construction of China-ROK innovation park in Chengdu, carry out high-end cooperation in automobile, robot, tablet display, new material, information and communication, strengthen financial interconnectivity, support the development of cross-border e-commerce, and promote cultural industry cooperation.
He stressed that maintaining peace in northeast Asia is significant for the region and the world. China is willing to make joint efforts with all parties concerned to realize denuclearization of the Korea Peninsula and regional development and prosperity, said the Premier.
Both sides should respect each other's core interests and major concerns, strengthen contacts and consultation, and maintain the strategic partnership and mutual beneficial cooperation between the two countries, said the Premier.
Hwang noted that in the past three years, the relations between the two countries witnessed major development with enhanced political mutual trust, frequent high-level exchanges, close strategic communication, connection of development strategies, free trade agreements taking effects as well as expansion of people-to-people exchanges.
He also noted that the ROK attaches great importance to ROK-China relations and is willing to take the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year as an opportunity to strengthen innovation cooperation and promote strategic partnership to a higher level. The ROK is also willing to maintain the overall bilateral relations and enhance strategic contacts with China to maintain regional peace and stability in northeast Asia, said Hwang.
During the meeting, the two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.
