Park asks China to be 'good partner' in Korean unification

Park asks China to be 'good partner' in Korean unification

 

By Chang Jae-soon

2013/06/28 20:44 KST

BEIJING, June 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye asked China Friday to be a "good partner" for inter-Korean unification, saying a unified Korea will be of help to all countries in the region, including China, according to an aide to her.

   Park made the remark during a special lunch Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted for her, a day after they held a summit and agreed to work closely together to end North Korea's nuclear program, said Ju Chul-ki, senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs.

   "While explaining in detail why a peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula will be of help to each country, President Park asked China to be a good partner in the course of realizing denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and a peaceful unification, and President Xi expressed sympathy" with Park's view, Ju said.

   Xi reaffirmed China's willingness to help South Korea carry out Park's "Korean Peninsula trust process" policy as well as her "Northeast Asian peace and cooperation initiative" to promote peace on the divided peninsula and in the region, the South Korean official said.

   During Thursday's summit, Park and Xi pledged to cooperate closely to make the Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons, saying North Korea's nuclear program poses a serious threat to peace in the region and beyond.

   The sides also issued a wide-ranging joint communique where they vowed to significantly bolster political and security cooperation as well as further expand their already flourishing economic ties, including making a stronger push for a free trade agreement.

   Xi said that Park's visit to China has been successful as it has produced a lot of results and presented a bright future for the two neighboring countries. The trip is expected to have a big impact on future relations between the two countries, Xi was quoted as saying.

   Park also asked for China's help in efforts to set up a commemorative stone monument at the train station in the Chinese city of Harbin in honor of late anti-Japanese Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun (1877-1910). Ahn is known for his assassination of the Korean Peninsula's first Japanese governor-general, Hirobumi Ito, in 1909.

   Xi said he will order related agencies to review the request, according to Ju.

   Officials said the lunch meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse represents an unusual display of Xi's hospitality as it is rare for a Chinese leader to host such a meeting in addition to a state dinner. Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan also attended the meeting.

   It was Park's first meeting with the photogenic first lady.
  

 

Park asked Peng about the role of a first lady, saying she understands the heavy responsibility because she also served as a stand-in first lady after her mother was shot and killed by a pro-North Korean gunman in a failed assassination attempt on her father, then President Park Chung-hee, in 1974.

   Peng told Park that she is taking on the role with an attitude to contribute to the country.

   "The two leaders had lunch in an unreserved and comfortable atmosphere," presidential spokeswoman Kim Haing said. "We believe it served as an opportunity to deepen friendship and trust between the leaders of the two countries."

   They also exchanged gifts. Park gave Xi a traditional red lacquer square box and a tea cup set while Xi offered Park a porcelain enamel jar and a calligraphy work of an ancient Chinese poem implying his wish to move relations between the two countries forward, Kim said.

   Later in the day, Park met one-on-one with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

   "The Chinese side attaches high importance to the president's visit," Li said at the start of the meeting. "I believe this visit will breathe a new momentum into efforts to upgrade relations between the two countries."

Park said she was very pleased to have candid and in-depth talks with Xi on Thursday and Friday. In a separate meeting, Zhang said Xi regards Park's visit as very important.

Beijing is the first leg of Park's four-day state visit to China. On Saturday, she is scheduled to fly to the ancient Chinese inland city of Xian.

 

Source: english.yonhapnews.co.kr

 

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